Sensual and mellow were never adjectives associated with aggro band Deftones--until White Pony, that is. The quintet's third outing finds their aural punch softened and deepened, lending songs such as "Digital Bath" a sultry, layered edge. More Tool than Pantera in its sonics, White Pony, in fact, includes a collaboration with Tool/A Perfect Circle singer Maynard James Keenan in the haunting "Passenger". Fans of the band's earlier, harder albums will still find some satisfaction in these developments. "Elite" boasts chunky riffing and metal/rap leanings, while "Korea" is anguished and edgy. More striking, however, are songs like the quirky, futuristic, fervent "RX Queen" and the gentle "Teenager". Overall, this album is not as suitable for the mosh pit as their previous albums, Adrenaline and Around The Fur. Instead, it's a diverse, dynamic and heady album that avoids any preconceived notions of the Deftones' sound and manages to provide an indication of what this band may be capable of in the future. --Katherine Turman