Chino Moreno immerses himself in dream pop with Deftones side project Crosses

If you love the Deftones as much as I do, you’ve undoubtedly passionately defended them to a nu-metal naysayer. “They’re not really nu-metal,” you might argue. “Sure, they had some rap parts on their first record, but they’ve actually spent most of their career leaning into dream-pop and shoegaze influences.” (I can’t be the only person out there going to bat for the band on a fairly regular basis, can I?)

Deftones front man Chino Moreno has been open about his love of classic shoegaze, goth, and dream pop since the band broke out in the mid-90s, and they’ve pushed those elements further and further to the forefront of their alt-metal with each release. Over the years, Moreno has also used various side projects (including the trip-hoppy Team Sleep and his collaboration with former members of Isis, Palms) to explore his fascination with these styles. But he straight-up dives into them with Crosses, his mostly electronic duo with former Far guitarist Shaun Lopez. They’ve been putting out slick, catchy, industrial-tinged dream pop and witch house since 2011, and their love for those dreary, mysterious sounds runs so deep that last year they released a cover of Q Lazzarus’s dark synth-pop classic, “Goodbye Horses.” On their brand-new EP, Permanent.Radiant, gorgeous tracks of slick, airy synths and cloudy soundscapes serve as a foundation for Moreno’s signature yearning croon. These songs are deep, heavy, and beyond smooth; if your favorite parts of Deftones records are the sweet spots, then you definitely shouldn’t miss this release.

Crosses’s Permanent.Radiant is available through the artist’s website.

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