DEFTONES: 'Diamond Eyes' Projected To Sell 55K-60K First Week

According to Hits Daily Double, the companion web site of music industry tip sheet HITS, DEFTONES' new album, "Diamond Eyes", is on track (based on one-day sales reports) to sell between 55,000 and 60,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release.

DEFTONES' last album, "Saturday Night Wrist", opened with 76,000 units back in November 2006 to land at position No. 10 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"Diamond Eyes" was released yesterday via Warner.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Diamond Eyes
02. Royal
03. CMND/CTRL
04. You've Seen the Butcher
05. Beauty School
06. Prince
07. Rocket Skates
08. Sextape
09. Risk
10. 976-EVIL
11. This Place Is Death

The iTunes deluxe edition of "Diamond Eyes" contains three exclusive cover versions:

* Do You Believe (THE CARDIGANS cover)
* Ghosts (JAPAN cover)
* Caress (DRIVE LIKE JEHU cover)

DEFTONES' video for the song "Diamond Eyes" was directed by Roboshobo (a.k.a. Robert Schober; METALLICA, MASTODON).

In a recent interview with SPIN.com, DEFTONES frontman Chino Moreno stated about the new CD, "The dynamics DEFTONES are known for — aggressive overtones and lush openness. They're on opposite sides of the spectrum, but we meld them together without sounding contrived. There are a few heavy songs, too, like our first couple records, and there are also experimental tunes — but there's not a minute on this record that feels like it doesn't need to be there. Each sound complements the other. I'll straight-up say it: it's definitely one of our best albums."

Regarding the lyrical direction of the new album, Moreno said, "Well, I've been wanting to record a fantasy album like 'White Pony', where the lyrics are less, 'This is my life and this is what we're going through.' It helps take us away from reality. I don't like listening to people's problems — I like music. Music has been smothered with that complaining since the early-'90s. It gets old. Instead of going to the opposite side of the spectrum and listening to BLACK EYED PEAS, which is just straight silly, I choose to listen to more instrumental music. I do very little singing about myself on this record. I love songs where I can totally take myself out of being human. I can sing about really odd things, and they don't necessarily have to pertain to me at all. It paints a picture. Those are the kind of lyrics I grew up with — like THE CURE. Really visual images and no storytelling."

"Diamond Eyes" is DEFTONES' first album first since bassist Chi Cheng's life-altering car accident, which has left him in a comatose state.