Chino Moreno Stands Up for Female Deftones Fans

Deftones frontman Chino Moreno recently spoke about the misogyny some female fans encounter for supporting the band, sharing his perspective in an interview with Louder Sound.

When asked about women facing sexist backlash on social media for liking Deftones, Moreno discussed the broader issue of music gatekeeping and how the band has evolved over time. “Yeah, I can see that. I think shaming anybody for what they like is kind of ridiculous, right? Honestly, I listened to everything in high school and hung out with everybody,” Moreno said. “I hung out with the goth kids, and with the jocks.”

He reflected on how his wide-ranging musical tastes influenced Deftones’ sound, noting how it differed from the strict boundaries of traditional metal.

“There were different cliques, but I think the segregation started to break down, and I felt like, musically, I followed that. Stephen, back then, would write the majority of the music. And he was a straight metalhead, right? So right away the music was put into a heavy category,” he continued. “And I tried to scream along, and do whatever I could do to fit. But that’s not what came to me naturally. Naturally, I wanted to weave melody into that somehow. I think obviously Deftones is Deftones at this point, but still to this day, what is that?”

Moreno’s remarks come amid a resurgence of Deftones’ popularity among younger listeners, much of it fueled by social media. Platforms have helped introduce the band to new generations, creating a wave of renewed interest. According to The PRP, Moreno has personally witnessed this through his own family—his daughter’s friends began discovering and enjoying the band. “My daughter’s friends started showing interest in our band,” Moreno observed, attributing the trend partly to social media platforms like TikTok.

This digital revival has played a key role in what writer Biz Sherbert describes as a nationwide expansion of alternative music scenes. Many young fans are now attending Deftones concerts for the first time after finding the band online.

Through this renewed cultural moment, Deftones continue to draw a diverse audience—a reflection of Moreno’s long-held belief in musical openness and inclusivity. That mindset has helped the band remain influential figures in both the nu metal revival and the broader alternative music landscape.