Five years can seem like an eternity if one is a big enough fan of a band, and waiting half a decade for new music from Deftones has certainly had fans chomping at the bit. Deftones’ 2020 album Ohms (Reprise Records, review here) took on a heavy and reflective tone that mirrored the emotional distress of the pandemic and lockdown. Now, Deftones followers can rejoice, as the band have emerged with private music (via Reprise and Warner Records), with eleven tracks of silver lining to what’s been a tense 2025. Co-produced and recorded in California and Nashville with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Korn, Alice In Chains, Mastodon), who worked on 2010’s Diamond Eyes and 2012’s Koi No Yokan (both also Reprise/Warner).
Their tenth studio album has truly embraced its name, with no live performances of the new material on recent tours (just a few glimpses of the artwork and release date), keeping the songs hush-hush until earlier this summer when the lead single “my mind is a mountain” was unveiled. Leaning heavier on the Shoegazer side and building on a sound that pervaded Ohms, the track clocks in at just under three minutes, packing a punch with Chino Moreno’s signature wails, gritty guitars, and pummeling drums. The second single, which falls eighth on that track listing, “milk of the madonna,” combusts out of echoing feedback into fiery power chords and choruses that fans will surely be shouting at future gigs.
One thing about private music is that it does not waste any time getting to the meat of each of the tracks.“locked club” jumps into syncopated, grungy riffs and pushes forward to the very end. Highlight track “ecdysis” is reminiscent of early Deftones’ work, somewhere between their self-titled and Diamond Eyes, luring listeners in immediately with the bassline. “infinite source, “souvenir,” and “cXz” ebb and flow with atmospheric soundscapes while still incorporating catchy hooks and dynamic drums. The record relaxes into a more balladic temperament with dreamy melodies on “i think about you all the time,” while another stand-out track “cut hands” dives back into aggressive vocals, gripping grooves, and unexpected tempo changes.
The penultimate song, “metal dream,” delves into experimental territory but maintains the light/heavy contrast that Deftones have mastered throughout their career. private music fittingly closes out with “departing the wave” which evokes its title perfectly, with swaying rhythms, buoyant beats, and ascending vocals, finishing the album on an energetic high note.
Overall, private music showcases Deftones’ versatility and growth in experimenting with noisier/shoegaze instrumentation while incorporating the mix of dark, thrashy, and sultry elements we all know and love.
Buy the album here:
https://amzn.to/473oP7u
8 / 10
MEIJIN BRUTTOMESSO
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