Deftones have revived a track from their abandoned Eros sessions, months after recordings from the unfinished album reportedly leaked online.
Deftones have performed “Melanie” for the first time in 18 years. The band revived the track from their abandoned Eros sessions at Día de los Deftones in San Diego on Saturday (7 November).
The song appeared midway through their 20-song set at Petco Park, between “Rocket Skates” and “i think about you all the time”. According to The PRP, it marked only the third documented live performance of “Melanie”. The track had not appeared in a Deftones setlist since 2008.
Its return is particularly significant given the history of Eros. The band shelved the album following bassist Chi Cheng’s car accident in November 2008 and has rarely revisited its material.
The Unfinished History Of Eros
“Melanie” made its live debut at Spaceland in Silver Lake, Los Angeles on 18 September 2008. The performance took place during the original Eros recording sessions, less than two months before Cheng’s accident.
Contemporary Blabbermouth reporting documents the song’s early live appearances. Deftones played it once more that year before it disappeared from their setlists.
On 4 November 2008, Cheng was critically injured in a car accident in California. He suffered a severe brain injury and remained in a minimally conscious state for more than four years before his death in April 2013, aged 42.
The accident left his bandmates uncertain about whether Deftones could continue. Speaking to Louder in 2016, Moreno recalled that the band put its future aside while Cheng’s recovery remained their immediate concern. It was several months before the members regrouped and began discussing what came next.
In a June 2009 statement, Deftones explained that the unfinished Eros recordings no longer represented who they were creatively. Although they maintained that shelving the record was an artistic decision rather than a direct consequence of Cheng’s condition, they acknowledged that his circumstances weighed heavily on them.
The band eventually started again with Sergio Vega on bass, recording 2010’s Diamond Eyes. Moreno later described the decision as important to the band’s wellbeing, telling NME in 2020 they needed a complete change of direction.
The emotional weight of Eros did not disappear with time. In a 2013 interview with Vice, Moreno explained that hearing the recordings again brought back difficult memories. They captured some of his final experiences making music with Cheng, and the band was still processing his death.
Eros has never received an official release, although some of its material has surfaced. Moreno shared “Smile” in 2014 to mark the first anniversary of Cheng’s death. Deftones later performed the song at Día de los Deftones in 2019.
“Melanie”, however, had remained absent from the stage for nearly two decades.
Why Eros Is Still Unreleased
The performance is also notable given Moreno’s more recent comments about the unfinished album.
Speaking to The Guardian in August 2025, Moreno said Eros would most likely remain unreleased. Completing it would mean returning to material written during a very different period in the band’s history.
He identified “Dallas” as the only song that had come close to completion. Revisiting the remaining recordings, he explained, made little creative sense for the band.
Moreno had also discussed the record in a 2020 interview with NME. He described unfinished material that would require substantial additional recording and writing.
Those comments provide important context for Saturday’s performance. Bringing “Melanie” back into a setlist does not necessarily mean Deftones intend to complete the album.
The June 2026 Eros Leak
The song’s return follows an unauthorised leak in June 2026. Eleven recordings reportedly associated with Eros appeared online alongside demos connected to Ohms.
The reported tracklist included “Melanie” and “Smile”, although “Dallas” was notably absent. Deftones have not formally authenticated the leaked files.
As BLUNT reported, guitarist Stephen Carpenter subsequently addressed the leak during a June appearance on B-Real’s The Dr. Greenthumb Show. Carpenter said the band was no stranger to unreleased recordings circulating online.
There is no confirmed connection between the leak and Saturday’s performance. Deftones have not publicly explained the song’s return or announced plans to release Eros.
For now, the performance offers a rare opportunity to hear material the band has otherwise largely left behind.
Watch the fan-filmed performance of “Melanie” below.
MORE IN News
