Private Music

Private Music

by Deftones
Private Music

Private Music

by Deftones

Overview

If listeners thought Ohms was the pinnacle of what Deftones could achieve in their late-era surge, here comes Private Music to run circles around that notion. Perfect from back to front, this tenth set from the alt-metal veterans is a lean, mean stunner. With producer Nick Raskulinecz back in the saddle, Deftones have recorded a flawless album and -- with apologies to the Raskulinecz faithful who hold Diamond Eyes and Koi No Yokan in the highest regards -- this might be the best example of their collaborative artistry. He's pulled the purest vision from the band and honed it into something quietly breathtaking. Serving as a generational connector between old-school fans who remember the nu-metal days and the legion of younger converts who have absorbed their various evolutionary stages in a more compact time period, Private Music strikes an even better balance than Ohms. Building on the focus and accessibility of that 2020 opus, this set carries it a step further, taking special care to temper the muscular riffs and primal screams with shimmering, melodic programming and catchy chord progressions. It's a journey ideally experienced in one sitting for maximum effect. Sensual, sexy, and soulful -- take whatever meaning of "private" that suits you -- the result is so refreshingly straightforward and confident that you get the feeling Deftones knew they had a triumph on their hands. Towering opener "My Mind Is a Mountain" sets the scene: as Chino Moreno's distinctive vocals sway from croon to howl, Stephen Carpenter's punishing guitar churns below Abe Cunningham's precision drum attack, and Frank Delgado's atmospherics elevate the track to cinematic levels. Along with new bassist Fred Sablan, Deftones lock in for what will be a breathless 42-minute escape. On "Locked Club," Moreno flips from spoken-word declarations to a rapturous sung chorus (the shiver-inducing cry of "Can you feel it?" can be answered with a simple, "Yes, we can!"). Meanwhile, the lurching low-end, knuckle-drag riffage of the menacing "Ecdysis" will bring a glimmer to the eye of any old-school fan, just as the atmospheric production and heralding synths remind us just how much they've evolved since 1995. Those vocal highs from "Locked Club" are later bested by those on the expansive centerpiece "Souvenir," which is powerful enough to inspire immediate ascension. Soaring above the thick low end of Carpenter's sludgy, dirty riffs, it's the unrivaled highlight of this album. "Milk of the Madonna" careens along an almost jubilant storm of bouncing riffs and pogo drums, just as the furious "Cut Hands" suddenly launches listeners back to the Adrenaline days with spit verses, glitchy delivery, unnerving sonics, and a monstrous breakdown for the ages. The tender "I Think About You All the Time" and the heady, swaggering dub of "Metal Dream" provide interesting breathers, but otherwise this is a lean, no-filler assault that should please all corners of their wide fandom. Going two for two in the 2020s so far, Deftones maintain their position as one of the greatest bands of their generation. Throw on a pair of headphones and get lost with Private Music. ~ Neil Z. Yeung

Product Details

Release Date: 08/22/2025
Label: Reprise / Wea
UPC: 0093624832355

Tracks

  1. My Mind Is a Mountain
  2. Locked Club
  3. Ecdysis
  4. Infinite Source
  5. Souvenir
  6. cXz
  7. I Think About You All the Time
  8. Milk of the Madonna
  9. Cut Hands
  10. Metal Dream
  11. Departing the Body

Album Credits

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