Alt-metal masters The Deftones’ new album Saturday Night Wrist pushes the metal elements of their early years to the forefront. Guitarist Stephen Carpenter, who wrote much of the album, wouldn’t have it any other way.

“”It got to the point before the last album (2003’s Deftones) where I told the guys, ‘You guys start playing metal or I’m not going to play,'”” Carpenter said.

Disagreement among band members is nothing new.

“”We definitely butt heads all the time, but not in a bad way,”” Carpenter said.

“”We have different opinions. As it relates to this album, I said ‘We’re four albums deep, and I start nearly every fucking song on guitar, can somebody please start the song besides me?'”” Carpenter laughed.

After being together for more than a decade, releasing a new album nearly every three years, some members have decided to explore different creative outlets, though with no intentions of leaving the band.

“”I have another band called Kush, I’m also in a drum-and-bass band called Sol Invicto,”” Carpenter said.

Vocalist Chino Moreno released an album and toured with the band Team Sleep, while the rest of the band recorded the music for Saturday Night Wrist.

Different priorities and commitments added to the difficulty of finishing the new album.

“”It took us about a year to get all the music recorded. The last year was spent just waiting for Chino, really.,”” Carpenter said.

Such difficulties do little to dampen the spirits of the group.

“”First and foremost, we’re a group of friends,”” Carpenter said. “”We just happen to make music together.””

On the road, Carpenter listens to Canadian band Threat Signal, but he doesn’t limit himself to metal.

“”You know what song I probably listened to most over the summer was? That ‘Promiscuous’ song by Nelly Furtado and Timbaland. We were over in Europe, and it was on every channel, every day. I was like, ‘that song is addictive!'””

Even before 2000’s critically and commercially successful White Pony, the band had produced a string of hits and built a massive fan base with extensive tours and intense live shows. It’s with that in mind that the band looks forward to getting back on the road.

With such a large selection of songs to play live, there’s less of a rush to get back into the studio.

“”We don’t have to focus on making another record for a while,”” Carpenter said.

The Deftones will be at The Rialto Theater, 318 E. Congress St., on Monday.