I know you. The Nineties have been difficult. Metal died a painful public death and the airwaves have been overrun with sensitive pretty boys. There have been bands who keep the sounds alive but the pickings have been slim. Who will help to fly the banner for metal in the Nineties?Enter the Deftones. The Sacramento-based quartet, composed of Chino Moreno, vocals; Stephen Carpenter, guitar; Chi Cheng, bass; and Abe Cunningham, drums are here to cure what ails ya. “Around The Fur” is the follow-up to ’95s “Adrenaline.” For those unfamiliar with the “new metal” sound, here’s the recipe. Add a heaping handful of low, growling Cookie Monster vocals with bass riffs harder than week-old biscotti, stir in drumming that’s one part tribal/one part distilled aggression, and mix thoroughly with grinding shards of guitar. Voila! Music to exercise the inner demons.What makes the Deftones more interesting than a formula band is their use of melody. While most bands are content with beating a dead horse, Moreno isn’t afraid to alternate his screams with gently whispered vocal and melodic singing. Lyrically the band has more on their minds than looking for good times and getting drunk. The title track “Around The Fur,” focuses on Moreno’s disenchantment with the vanity and illusion of the “beautiful people.” The bonds of friendship gets its due with the song “Headup.” Moreno sings about he and his friend “Getting spacey with the common love of music.”Musically the Deftones drive harder than Richard Petty on a caffeine binge. This isn’t an album you can put on quietly in the background while house cleaning. Every track demands attention. Be fully prepared to embarrass yourself thrashing around the bedroom to this album. Tempos and textures switch at the drop of a dime as the band plays like a single minded precision machine.The high marks of the album don’t stop. Pay special attention to “My Own Summer (Shove It)”, with it’s tersely whispered verses in counterbalance to the explosive chorus, “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)” could be a lost Smashing Pumpkins song. The soaring vocals and guitar work would be comfortable on “Siamese Dream.” The closing track “MX” finds Moreno’s rock star alter ego being undercut by a female vocal that isn’t buying his lines.The Deftones’ “Around The Fur,” should be a required purchase for fans of aggressive music. Old fans and newcomers will be pleased. And if the album isn’t enough for you, the Deftones will be playing at the Alrossa Villa on December 1.