The Sacramento-bred alternative rockers known as the Deftones commenced their ride to success on the coat tails of an accident. Guitarist Stephen Carpenter was hit by a drunk driver and collected a hefty cash settlement in the lawsuit. The money was used to purchase some serious "rock band" equipment that then provided the beginnings of a successful career. The early 1990s saw the Deftones reaching a receptive audience of teens looking for something along the lines of P.O.D. and Korn. The Deftones gained many new fans in the '90s with lead vocalist Chino Moreno's captivating whisper-to-scream range. In 2003 the Deftones embarked on a summer tour with fellow alternative scrubs Linkin Park and seasoned metal gods, Metallica.