Deftones sound like an urban California traffic jam — the band’s innovative blend of alt-rock, metal, hardcore and emo creates heat, tension and eventually release.

Earlier this year, the Sacramento-born Deftones released the long-awaited and critically acclaimed Gore. Last spring, when Deftones’ only Oregon show was announced at Cuthbert Amphitheater, it was for many the crown jewel of Eugene’s summer concert season.

While not exactly a household name like ’90s-era contemporaries such as Pearl Jam, Deftones’ fans are passionate and loyal. Don’t just take it from me. Here are a couple local Deftones fans (Defheads, if you will) to tell you what keeps them coming back for more.

Kevin Wayne Richardson (also known as Kevlar) is a Eugene-based musician who’s seen the band three times in concert, but never locally.

“I’ve been into the Deftones since their album Around the Fur came out in the late ’90s,” Richadson says. “I was introduced to their sound through friends, and being into the whole hard rock, metal, grunge scene at the time.”

He continues, “I attribute their success to maintaining their So-Cal sound but at the same time re-inventing themselves on each record they’ve put out,” adding that “their willingness to experiment but still be a killer hard-rock band has set them apart from many of the bands that came out in the late ’90s.”

Another Eugene musician, Remy Castle, first heard them when he was 12 years old at a show in Mississippi. “By the time I was 13 I was in my first band,” Castle recalls. “We had three original songs and nine Deftones covers.” Castle adds: “To say these guys inspired would be an understatement.”

Deftones play with Alabama’s rootsy hip-hop heartthrob Yelawolf and L.A.’s electronic-soul duo Sister Crayon 7:30 pm Saturday, Aug. 27, at Cuthbert Amphitheater; $46.75 advance, $53 door, all-ages. — William Kennedy