Adrenaline

Released on October 3, 1995 through Maverick Records, Adrenaline is Deftones' debut studio album. Recorded primarily at Bad Animals Studio in Seattle with producer Terry Date, it established the band's early sound while introducing the lineup of Chino Moreno, Stephen Carpenter, Abe Cunningham, Chi Cheng. The hidden track “Fist” was recorded separately at Sound City in Van Nuys with producer Ross Robinson, and the album also features uncredited audio effects from Frank Delgado on “Minus Blindfold” and “Fireal”; Delgado officially joined the band in 1999.

Several songs that would later appear on Adrenaline had already been documented on the band’s early demo recordings. The Engine No. 9 / 7 Words Demo and Root / Nosebleed Demo preserve early versions of Engine No. 9, 7 Words, Root and Nosebleed, documenting the band’s formative sound before the album sessions with Terry Date.

Adrenaline was promoted through the 7 Words and Bored promotional singles, both accompanied by music videos. Extensive touring alongside acts including Korn, White Zombie, Super 8, Handsome and Kiss steadily expanded Deftones' audience, allowing the album to gain momentum through word of mouth before eventually being certified Gold and later Platinum by the RIAA.