Koi No Yokan is an album by Deftones, and the title is a phrase in Japanese, which means “premonition of love”. It was released on November 12, 2012 by Reprise Records, and it sold over 65,000 copies in its first week of sales. This album is definitely something that I added to my Spotify right after I heard it, and I hope that you will, too.
Deftones is a seven-person alternative metal group that was formed in Sacramento California in 1988. Their second album Around the Fur was released 1997, and it gained chart status almost immediately. Koi No Yokan also made it onto the charts as #11.
“Rosemary” is a song they got pretty popular a few years ago. My perspective on this song is that it’s about two people, and the vocalist wants them to be together through every universe. He just wants this person to stay with him, and they are going through these different universes together. He’s describing it all as a kind of surreal experience. I see why this song is popular, because the instrumentals blend so well together, and the lyrics really make you feel something powerful.
The track called “Entombed” is definitely a love song. The singer is saying how he never wants to leave another person’s side. They care for this person so much that it’s actually overwhelming for them. They want to become this person’s safe space, no matter what. The instrumentals here do not overpower the vocals, which I feel like we don’t get enough of when it comes to rock artists like this.
The meaning behind the song “What Happened to You?” is pretty controversial. Honestly, when it comes to this track, it’s up to the listener to decide what it all means. Most people think it’s about a friend that got into an accident and suffered from a coma. This might be true, especially when you consider these lyrics: “40 years in the winds, I’ve played with you.” The band has also written multiple songs about this person.
The music on this album is great. I mean, when it comes to metal artists, sometimes it’s just a whole bunch of screaming, or the instruments drown out the lyrics. Something I like about Deftones is that they don’t do that. The balance of the music and the vocals is perfect, and one does not overpower the other.
All of the songs seem to fit into the album and its theme of love. The lyrics of every song correlates to a feeling of devotion to another person and the nostalgia you feel for the past. It reflects on the hope that we all have that one person will stay with us through it all.
Everything blends together so well on this album. The lyrics genuinely do generate strong feelings. And all of the albums by Deftones make you feel this way.
Overall, Koi No Yokan is beautifully created, and the album title definitely fits the music so well. This album absolutely deserves to be listened to by more people. And if you like this album, you probably will enjoy their others, such as Saturday Night Wrists, Around the Fur, and Diamond Eyes.
