Exclusive: Deftones’ Stephen Carpenter Talks “Power + Beauty” Of Pantera’s ‘This Love’

pitpony.photography, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
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To continue the celebration of the upcoming 30th anniversary of the Pantera album Vulgar Display Of Power, we have none other than Deftones’ Stephen Carpenter. Much like how Pantera have inspired Halestorm’s Arejay Hale, the band have also had a major impact on the Deftones lead guitarist.

We reached out to Stef to ask his thoughts on the band and that of the song “This Love.” We recently shared an exclusive HD remastering of the song’s music video, as well as an interview with Pantera vocalist Phil Anselmo where he reflected on the track. In the video from Stef, which you can find below, he shares what he finds technically impressive about the song and what it means to him.

Stef makes a great point about the tone of “This Love” – the “power and beauty” of the cut is a compelling dynamic. It is a quality that has rippled throughout metal history, with many bands following in Pantera’s footsteps. Interestingly, it is the type of sonic quality you find in a lot of Deftones songs; how the band weave together ambiance and atmosphere alongside heavy riffs is partially what has allowed them to become such an fascinating act in heavy music. Again, it’s remarkable and touching to see how Pantera has inspired so many through their music.

We would like to thank Stef for his time in celebrating this landmark achievement of heavy metal with us! Continue to keep an eye (and ear) out for updates from The Pit, for our next big exclusive music video drops tomorrow! What song do you think it will be?

Pantera’s Vulgar Display of Power turns 30 as of February 25th. The record has been certified double platinum, and is critically considered one of the greatest metal records of all time.

Last year, the Deftones released their 9th studio album Ohms, which is available to listen to on a variety of platforms.

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Words by: Michael Pementel

Watch the newly remastered 4k version of “This Love” below: