Courtesy of Annamarie Disanto

Let’s begin by thinking of what could have been for bassist Chi Cheng of the illustrious rock band the Deftones.

He could have finished college at California State University, Sacramento with a bachelor’s degree in English, continued working three jobs, and he could be teaching your younger brother’s creative writing class.

Instead, Cheng chose to drop out and play bass guitar for the Deftones, a rock band that, for the past 18 years, has established itself with its unique blend of heavy riffs and innovative melancholy vocals.

The band has stood the test of time. How? The simple bond between group members.

“We’re all friends, and we maintain a good friendship,” Cheng said.

For Cheng, his friendship with the band began two years after being founded in 1988.

“The original bass player left to join a bigger local band – f***in’ sellout!” Cheng jokingly said.

Since then, the Deftones have had five major releases. On Halloween, its sixth album, “Saturday Night Wrist,” which is a medical term relating to excessive partying, was released.

The success of previous albums may prove the Deftones has established itself as a major power in music, yet there are still some cynics who believe the band should continue to create music similar to its first two albums, “Adrenaline” and “Around the Fur.”

To those critics, Cheng has only one rebuttal.

“F*** you!” Cheng said with a laugh. “I’m getting old – give me a break.”

The shift in musical style from the band’s first album, “Adrenaline,” to its most recent can be attributed to the gradual maturity of its members.

“We’ve definitely matured as musicians but maybe not so much as adults,” Cheng said.

Even though band members said they haven’t come of age yet, the group is making a dent in music history.

The band’s impact on newer groups was evident to Cheng while on the “2006 Rockstar Taste of Chaos tour,” in which many of the younger bands approached the Deftones with praise.

“A lot of great, young bands were coming up to us saying, ‘I used to go see you,'” Cheng said. “I’d ask them, ‘When?’ Then they’d say, ‘Oh, about 15 years ago,’ and I’d be like, ‘Cool!'”

The “Taste of Chaos” tour had the Deftones packing large venues, but the band’s current tour to support “Saturday Night Wrist,” which began on Oct. 26 in Oklahoma City, veers away from arenas and is mainly in clubs.

“I love (playing clubs),” Cheng said. “I wish there was more money in playing clubs ’cause it’s the only way to really interact with the fans.”

Although the assumption may be made that the Deftones’ vast following has led to financial success, Cheng said everything is not what it seems.

“People probably think, ‘Oh, they’re filthy rich guys,’ when really we’re not,” Cheng said. “I could use more financial freedom.”

-The Deftones are scheduled to

perform at 7 p.m. on Nov. 12 at SOMA. Tickets are $25.