White Pony is Deftones' third album, released in 2000. It is the follow up to Around the Fur, which was released in 1997, and marks a significant growth in the band's sound; incorporating New Wave and shoegaze influences with the alternative metal edge the group had honed and become known for. To this end, it is generally regarded by fans and critics alike as their most mature outing.
A total of four different versions of the album exist. On its release date, limited edition copies were released with solid red and black jewel cases. The two different colored cases also featured different insert booklets. Both limited edition versions included the added track "The Boy's Republic", but did not include "Back to School (Mini Maggit)".
The first edition with a grey cover was supposed to be released as the non-limited version of the album. In addition, this version did not feature the track "Back to School". This is the proper version of the album, and "Back to School" was only added as a marketing strategy; Chino Moreno has stated that he wasn't happy about it.2
White Pony is street slang for cocaine. However, there are more likely meanings for the album name, including an obvious sexual reference:
"There's a lot of different references for White Pony. One of them is a cocaine reference and there's a lot of stuff... have you ever heard stuff like in dream books that if you dream about a white pony then you're having a sexual dream? There's a lot of stuff that kinda goes around it. And there's an old song (that goes) 'ride the white horse.' That's obviously a drug reference song."3