Opinions and Reviews

Deftones- Diamond Eyes Album Review

Derek Divinia and Bryce Bigon • April 1, 2026

Track Ratings:

Diamond Eyes-10/10

Royal- 6.5/10

CMND/CTRL- 7.5/10

Story continues below advertisement

You’ve Seen the Butcher- 8/10

Beauty School- 8/10

Prince- 6.8/10

Rocket Skates- 6/10

Sextape- 10/10

Risk- 9.5/10

976-EVIL- 10/10

This Place Is Death- 5/10

Standout Tracks:
976-EVIL- Is an atmospheric track that slowly builds from being soft into a powerful, emotional swell without losing its dreamy feel. It’s a perfect balance of beauty, heaviness, and introspection

Diamond Eyes- Hits with explosive energy right away, blending heavy riffs with melodic vocals in a way that feels both aggressive and uplifting. It has intensity, catchiness, and emotional depth.

Sextape- Beautiful song that encapsulates the experience of intimacy so well.

Mediocre Tracks:
This Place is Death- This song is very bland and has no standouts, and lacks the punch and memorability of the rest of the album.

Royal- This song leans more on aggression and doesn’t offer much beyond its intensity, making it less dynamic than the album’s best songs.

Prince- This song has a good beat, but feels repetitive and doesn’t offer enough to stand out. Compared to the rest of the album, it is one of the least memorable songs.

Final Thoughts: Overall, Diamond Eyes by Deftones is a powerful comeback album that blends intensity with atmospheric beauty, showing the band at their most refined and emotionally focused. Even with a few weaker tracks, the consistency, energy, and standout highs make it one of their best releases and a favorite for many.

Donate to GHS Stampede

Your donation will support the student journalists of Graham High School. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.

About the Contributors

Derek Divinia

Derek Divinia is a senior at Graham High School and a member of both the National Honor Society and the Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC). TARC gives him a chance to build rockets, solve problems, and maybe even make something explode (like our rocket last year). Being part of the team has taught him to stay focused, manage his time, and finish projects on time—most of the time. In class, Derek is careful and committed, quietly making sure his work is done right. He’s not the loudest student in the room, but he gets things done. Outside of school, Derek spends his time hunting, rock climbing, hiking, and shooting, always looking for a new adventure. He’s also a big music fan, listening to his AirPods constantly, with Deftones and Led Zeppelin being top picks, and Beauty School is one of his favorite songs. He enjoys traveling too, taking any chance to see new places. Derek balances school, hobbies, and music while staying focused and having fun along the way.

Bryce Bigon, Editor

Bryce is 17 years old and was born in Corpus Christi, Texas. He moved to Fort Worth when he was two years old and then to Graham when he was 14. He likes buffalo chicken wings and pizza. When he has free time, he watches movies and TV. He is the king and very epic. He is the future president of the United States. He is in college classes because he is a genius. He is the biggest Summrs, Jaydes, and Aeter fan, and he loves basketball. His favorite team is the Dallas Mavericks, even though they traded Luka Doncic and Quentin Grimes. His favorite wrestlers are Jeff Hardy and CM Punk. His favorite show is “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”. His favorite video games are NBA 2k and Plants vs Zombies. His favorite manga series is Chainsaw Man. He was born on June 15, 2008, which should probably be a holiday because of this.