Deftones, formed in 1988, are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, known for fusing crushing metal riffs with shoegaze textures and atmospheric melody. Founding members Chino Moreno (vocals), Stephen Carpenter (guitar), Abe Cunningham (drums), and Chi Cheng (bass) built the band's foundation, with Frank Delgado (turntables, keyboards) joining as an official member in 1999.

Their 1995 debut Adrenaline introduced the band's volatile early sound, but it was Around the Fur (1997) that broke them through on the strength of singles "My Own Summer (Shove It)" and "Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)." The platinum-certified follow-up White Pony (2000) expanded their sonic palette into trip-hop and dream pop and earned a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance for "Elite."