Deftones' Stephen Carpenter showcases his 5-string bass chops in new Needles and Pins playthrough

Since the surprise arrival of an official playthrough video for Ceremony – taken from blockbuster new album Ohms – Deftones have posted a string of clips that offer a close-up look at guitarist Stephen Carpenter’s wrecking-ball riffs.

Now, the alt-metal trailblazers have dropped a fresh video of 2003’s Needles and Pins, which features a surprise bass performance from the eight-string-keen player.

Playing a – what else? – ESP five-string bass, Carpenter reveals the secret to the self-titled album cut’s gnarly distorted tone, as he sticks to riffing on the bass’s upper register, which allowed late bassist Chi Cheng to hold down the low-end on his four-string.

As per previous playthroughs, Stef is using a Line 6 Helix for his tones, and also gives a shoutout to Fishman, Dunlop, Ernie Ball, Orange, Fryette Amplification, ENGL, Rivera Amplification and SYNERGY.

The video is the latest in a series of playthroughs from Carpenter, which includes performances of Ohms’ Genesis, as well as Koi No Yokan’s Swerve City and Romantic Dreams.