"Rocket Skates" is a song by the American alternative metal band Deftones. It was the second single released from Deftones' sixth studio album, Diamond Eyes. It was also the first single released without bassist Chi Cheng, who was in a coma during its recording, following a car accident in October 2008. The single was recorded with former Quicksand bassist Sergio Vega, who played bass on the entirety of Diamond Eyes.[1] It was later released as a limited edition 7" vinyl single for international Record Store Day on April 17, 2010, serving as the second overall single.
| "Rocket Skates" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Deftones | ||||
| from the album Diamond Eyes | ||||
| B-side | "Rocket Skates (M83 Remix)" | |||
| Released | April 17, 2010 | |||
| Recorded | Late 2009 | |||
| Length | 4:14 | |||
| Label | Reprise | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Stephen Carpenter, Abe Cunningham, Chino Moreno, Frank Delgado, Sergio Vega | |||
| Producer(s) | Nick Raskulinecz | |||
| Deftones singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Release
editDeftones began incorporating "Rocket Skates" into their live set list as early as October 2009.[2][3] As part of a promotion for Diamond Eyes, a free download of the single was made available for 24 hours on February 23, 2010 through the band's website, accompanying new information about the album.[4] The surge of visitors trying to download the track crashed the website's servers, resulting in temporary technical difficulties.[5] It was later made available on digital music retail sites such as iTunes and Amazon.com after the free download expired.[6]
As a part of international Record Store Day on April 17, 2010, 3,000 copies of "Rocket Skates" were released in a limited edition 7" vinyl format with a "picture sleeve" supporting the unofficial holiday.[4][6] The vinyl edition featured a B-side remix of "Rocket Skates" by French electronic band M83.[7] The remix was also given away as a free download to anyone who placed a pre-order for the CD version of Diamond Eyes.[8]
A music video directed by 13thWitness was released on March 9, 2010.[6][9]
Reception
editThe song was well received by music critics, and compared to Deftones' older and heavier material. Amy Sciarretto of Noisecreep claimed the song was "heavier than granite and very Deftones circa '98",[4] while Annie Zaleski of Riverfront Times stated, "Calling it 'heavy' doesn't do it justice".[10]
Track listing
editDigital single • UK 1-track promo CD[11] • Denmark promo CD[12]
- "Rocket Skates" – 4:14
Digital single - remix
- "Rocket Skates" (M83 Remix) – 5:45
7" single[13]
- "Rocket Skates" – 4:14
- "Rocket Skates" (M83 Remix) – 5:45
UK 2-tracks promo CD[14]
- "Rocket Skates"
- "Diamond Eyes"
Chart positions
edit| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Singles Sales (Billboard)[15] | 12 |
Personnel
edit- Deftones
- Stephen Carpenter – guitars
- Abe Cunningham – drums
- Frank Delgado – keyboards, samples
- Chino Moreno – vocals
- Sergio Vega – bass
- Production[13]
- Paul Figueroa – engineering
- Ted Jensen – mastering
- Nick Raskulinecz – producer, mixing
- Artwork and design[13]
- Frank Maddocks – art direction and design
- Ryan McVay (Getty Images) – original cover photo
References
edit- ^ Firecloud, Johnny (February 24, 2010). "Deftones Offer Free Download of 'Rocket Skates'". CraveOnline. Retrieved March 18, 2010.
- ^ "Deftones: Performance Footage Of New Song Available". Blabbermouth. Roadrunner. October 15, 2009. Retrieved March 17, 2010.
- ^ Anderson, Sara D. (February 23, 2010). "Deftones 'Rocket Skates' -- New Song". AOL Radio Blog. AOL Music. Retrieved March 17, 2010.
- ^ a b c Sciarretto, Amy (February 23, 2010). "Deftones, 'Rocket Skates' -- New Song". Noisecreep. AOL Music. Retrieved March 17, 2010.
- ^ Miller, Nick; Miller, Frank (February 25, 2010). "Blame the Russian judge, salchow breath". NewsReview.com. Retrieved March 17, 2010.
- ^ a b c Staples, Derek (March 11, 2010). "Deftones release new single, 'Rocket Skates'". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved March 18, 2010.
- ^ "Record Store Day 2010 - The Return of Releases". Record Store Day. Retrieved March 19, 2010.
- ^ "Deftones: New Album Release Moved Forward Two Weeks". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner. March 24, 2010. Retrieved March 24, 2010.
- ^ Karan, Tim (March 9, 2010). "Deftones unveil 'Rocket Skates' video". Alternative Press. Retrieved March 17, 2010.
- ^ Annie, Zaleski (February 24, 2010). "Deftones Then and Now: A Live St. Louis Video and a New, Free MP3". Riverfront Times. Retrieved March 18, 2010.
- ^ Rocket Skates (Media notes). Deftones. Warner Bros. Records. 2009. none.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Rocket Skates (Media notes). Deftones. Warner Music Denmark. 2010. none.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ a b c Rocket Skates (Vinyl back cover). Deftones. Burbank, California: Reprise. 2010. 523801-7.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Rocket Skates (Media notes). Deftones. Warner Bros. Records. 2009. none.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Deftones - Hot Singles Sales". billboard.com. Retrieved May 4, 2021.[dead link]