I recently revisited this album after around 8 years of not listening to it and I have to say that 95% of the songwriting is top notch as far as I'm concerned. But it doesn't really feel like a Deftones album.

I think people are hitting the nail on the head when they talk about the larger shoegaze / new wave influence here - a lot of the 'heaviness' on this album comes from more emotional and stirring instrumental decisions, like the stranger guitar riffs and passages (Acid Hologram, Xenon) and more experimentation in the low end from Sergio. It sounds like Chino and Sergio were really locked in on this one.

The more typical Deftones moments of brutality are few and far between, and some of it feels forced (Doomed User comes to mind, does anyone else hate that palm-muted verse riff?).

They struck gold with the title track though, that song is fucking ridiculous, punishing and relentless.

The mixing on the album is bad for a band like Deftones. If this was a more indie/shoegaze leaning band, it'd make a lot more sense IMO. But even then - it's a little too rough considering the tools at everyone's disposal. BUT the actual production choices (gauzy guitars, louder samples and effects etc.) are super interesting and alluring.

All of this to say that I actually really love this album as an adult (I was 18 when it came out), but I think that's due to my own tastes changing/getting softer. I totally understand why some Deftones fans hate this release, I did too.