Deftones Paid a $1 Million Fine to Finish ‘White Pony’ – But It Was Worth It

Today, April 13th, marks the anniversary of Chi Cheng’s tragic passing in 2013. As fans continue to remember the late Deftones bassist, a 2014 Metal Hammer feature on the band has resurfaced, offering a deeper look at their evolution and the high stakes behind one of their most iconic albums.

The piece, newly re-shared online today, revisits Deftones’ early years, their conscious move away from nü-metal, and how they carved out a more experimental, atmospheric sound that would come to define them. At the heart of the story is White Pony—the band’s genre-defying 2000 album that not only distanced them from their peers, but ultimately cemented their legacy.

While White Pony earned critical acclaim, went platinum in the U.S., and brought home the band’s only GRAMMY Award to date for “Elite”, the road to completion was anything but easy—or cheap.

According to the band, their label at the time, Maverick Records, grew concerned with how long the recording process was taking. To apply pressure, they gave the group a hard deadline. If the album wasn’t turned in on time, the band would be fined a staggering $1 million.

That deadline came and went.

Speaking to Metal Hammer in 2014, vocalist/guitarist Chino Moreno reflected on the penalty:

“It’s true. They just took it from us. There was nothing we could do because it was our fault. I mean, it’s a million dollars and I can’t act like that’s nothing but at least people liked the record and it’s gone down historically the way it has. Can you imagine what a million dollars looks like?”

That financial hit may have stung at the time, but it paved the way for an album that redefined the band and inspired a generation of artists. White Pony remains a landmark not just for Deftones, but for heavy music as a whole—and its lasting impact makes that million-dollar gamble feel like money well spent.

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