AFI’s Davey Havok Reflects on Deftones’ Early Impact on the Hardcore Scene

AFI frontman Davey Havok recently discussed his long-standing friendship with alternative metal pioneers Deftones, ahead of AFI joining the band’s biggest UK headline show yet on August 23rd at Victoria Park in London. The lineup will also feature IDLES, Interpol, and more.

Havok spoke about the crossover appeal Deftones had with hardcore fans during the 1990s:

“It’s really always an honor to play with the Deftones. We were fans before we ever met them. There’s a lot of crossover between what the Deftones were doing and the hardcore fan base. A lot of the hardcore kids that we grew up with were very, very much Deftones fans.

They were a part of the zeitgeist in those days, as they are even more so now in a completely different zeitgeist. So having the opportunity to play with them is always a thrill. And they’re such wonderful, wonderful men. They’re all just very kind and we have a lot of commonality in our tastes and our musical affinities.”

Havok also recalled discussing post-punk influences with Chino Moreno, highlighting the mutual respect between the bands:

“I believe Chino and I did an interview together the last time we were in England, talking about post-punk a lot as I recall… Something of the sort. I remember us talking about our shared love of Mr. Robert Smith and his peers.”

Though Deftones initially gained prominence within the nü-metal scene, Havok emphasized that the band also earned respect among hardcore and metalcore fans. Early collaborations, like Moreno’s guest spot on Strife’s “Will To Die” in 1997, and associations with bands such as Will Haven and Far, helped Deftones bridge genres and establish credibility beyond metal circles.

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