With time, the band changed the location from the garage to the nightclubs. Their music was gaining popularity among the young fans from Sacramento, San Francisco, and LA.
Between 1992 and 1993, the group was working hard to find a label. They self-released four demo albums, Deftones (Demo 1), Deftones (Demo 2), Engine Number Nine/7 Words, and (Like) Linus. The dream came true. In 1994, the band was noticed by Maverick Records. With the label, the artists recorded their last demo album, Root/Nosebleed.
In 1995, Deftones presented the first LP, Adrenaline. The album turned out fairly successful. It reached the 23rd spot on Top Heatseekers Chart. The LP featured such popular tracks as" Minus Blindfold", "One Weak", "7 Words", "Nosebleed", and "Birthmark". Years later, the album earned a platinum certification. At that time, many fans tried to book Deftones for their events, and the musicians often agreed.
The group’s second LP, Around the Fur, came out in 1997. It conquered Top Heatseekers Chart and came in 29th on Billboard 200. The album brought the artists international recognition, appearing on the charts of the UK, France, Germany, Finland, and the Netherlands. The LP featured such hits as "My Own Summer (Shove It)", "Around the Fur", and "Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)".
In 1998, the musicians presented a debut EP, Live, which became a big hit in France and earned the approval of the American fans.
In 2000, the group came up with another LP, White Pony. The single “Elite”, featured in the album, brought Deftones a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance. The album reached the third spot of Billboard 200.
In 2001, the musicians presented their second EP, which they called Back to School (Mini Maggit). It became very popular in the UK, France, and Australia.
In 2003, the group recorded, Deftones. It came in second on Billboard 200. Their next album, Saturday Night Wrist, which came out in 2006, didn’t manage to become as financially successful as the previous LP but still climbed to the 10th spot of Billboard 200.
In 2010, Deftones released Diamond Eyes. The big break between the albums wasn’t voluntary. In 2007, when the group was recording its sixth LP, Eros, Cheng got into a serious car accident. The album never came out. However, Diamond Eyes reached the 6th spot of Billboard 200 and conquered many European charts
The next LP, Koi No Yokan, which appeared in 2012, also reached a high spot on Billboard 200. Many songs featured in the album became hits.
In 2013, the artists presented a new EP Live: Volume 1 – Selections from Adrenaline, which didn’t become as successful as the previous albums.
The popularity seemed to be waning, but the artists didn’t give up. In 2016, they recorded Gore. It turned out to be highly successful, coming in second on Billboard 200 and reaching top-10 of many European charts.
In 2017, the group announced a new album, which is due out in 2019. The exact release date and the name haven’t been revealed yet.