As any metal fan knows, Chi Cheng, bass player for the Deftones, is still in pretty bad shape following an automobile accident in Santa Clara, CA on November 4th, 2008. After being in a coma for nearly a year, Chi has partially awoken and has begun the long road to recovery.
The greatly-loved Deftones low-end is slowly making progress, but is still in need of serious medical help. To make matters worse, his medical bills are piling up and it’s getting harder for his family and loved ones to keep up with the costs.
In honor of their fallen friend, some high-level rock names got together and wrote a song for Chi. Included in the one-off lineup are former Korn guitarist Brian “Head” Welch, Korn members Fieldy, Munky and Ray Luzier, Slipknot’s Jim Root and Sid Wilson, Sevendust’s Clint Lowery and Morgan Rose, POD’s Wuv, Metallica’s Robert Trujillo, Hatebreed’s Wayne Lozinak, Disturbed’s Mike Wengren, Killswitch Engage’s Adam Dutkiewicz and Machine Head’s Dave McClain.
The instrumental song is available for free download, which also includes a link where you can donate to Chi's family for his recovery. The accompanying video also shows each of the guys contributing their parts to the song, as well as various musicians talking about Chi.
For hard rock fans, the track is a dream-team collaboration - it's just a damn shame that it took such a tragic circumstance to make it happen.
Cheng's accident occurred while the band was in the middle of the recording sessions for their long-awaited new album, Eros. The Deftones released a statement in June, announcing that the band had decided to start anew and begin tracking an entirely new album. "The songs recorded for Eros are very special to us as they are the latest with Chi (and we certainly hope not the last); they have history and significant meaning to us," the band explained. "However, as we neared completion on 'Eros', we realized that this record doesn't best encompass and represent who we are currently as people and as musicians."
The band still has hopes that the songs recorded with Chi will see the light of day eventually, but "we collectively made the decision that we needed to take a new approach, and with Chi's condition heavy on our minds while doing so. Our inspiration and unity as a band is stronger than it has ever been before and we needed to channel that energy into our music, and deliver to our fans what you rightly deserve: the best Deftones record that we can make. The decision to hold off on releasing 'Eros' has no connection with Chi's condition or anything associated. This was, and is, purely a creative decision by the band to write, record, and deliver an amazing product. As a result, we feel like this is the best record we've ever written. And although Chi is not playing bass with us, his presence is dramatically felt in our hearts and on our minds every day when we step into that studio, and you will feel it in the music."
