Pen as a Knife

I am a huge fan of Deftones.  There is something raw and primal about Chino’s voice – he can go from a soft whisper to a thunderous growl to a haunting cry in a single song, and end the track screaming like a demonic banshee clawing its way out of hell.  And let’s face it, Deftones is pure sex rock.

One of my favorite tracks, Knife Party, has been hinted at being an allusion to heroin use.  Others have pointed out it might have no specific meaning at all.  The official story, from Chino himself, is that the drummer, Abe Cunningham, collected all sorts of knives, and during a drunken night in the tour bus, he handed his collection out to everyone, and they all danced with knives in their hands.

I have a new interpretation.  And the beauty of art is that you can take away any interpretation you like, as long as you’re able to ride it down the line to its logical end.

So hear me out: Knife Party is a song for writers, by writers.  It’s a call to action.