\u201cFace the crowd \/ Keep holding me close and tight \/ Last time adorning the stage\/ With love we\u2019ve chased and found.\u201d<\/p>\n
Over the course of their esteemed career, Deftones have carved out a reputation synonymous with pushing boundaries \u2013 particularly between darkness and light; intensity and texture, aggression and beauty.<\/p>\n
private music is not just the band\u2019s tenth studio album \u2013 it also marks 30 years since the release of their debut album, Adrenaline. The band\u2019s three-decade recording career has been marked by constant refinement and evolution within their core mixture of distorted alternative metal and soaring melodic shoegaze.<\/p>\n
While many bands that came up in the alternative metal scene around the same time as Deftones are long past their creative peaks, private music proves once again why Deftones remain one of the most dynamic and engaging bands of their generation. \u201cmy mind is a mountain\u201d comes barreling out the gate with a pummeling Stephen Carpenter riff that would would feel at home on Around the Fur, wasting no time establishing the push-pull dynamics that have defined this group\u2019s iconic sound.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
For private music, Deftones returned to producer Nick Raskulinecz, who previously worked with the band on Diamond Eyes and Koi No Yokan. Those two mid-career classics shared a certain widescreen, neon-tinged grandiosity that elevated many of the subtle nuances of the band\u2019s soundscapes. While Ohms saw the much-hyped return of veteran producer Terry Date, the argument can certainly be made that Raskulinecz is best suited to capture the sound of Deftones as they stand in 2025 \u2013 wiser, more focused on texture and nuance, yet still able to bring their signature ferocity at a moment\u2019s notice.<\/p>\n
As with all the best Deftones releases, private music is a study in dynamic contrasts. \u201cecdysis\u201d pushes Frank Delgado\u2019s pulsing synths and new bassist Fred Sablan\u2019s tight grooves front and centre to create a menacing launching pad for a soaring vocal performance from frontman Chino Moreno. Moreno is in top form throughout the album, turning on a dime from his signature soaring croon to fierce shrieks with an energy that remains astounding for a vocalist who has been at it longer than many newer fans have been alive.<\/p>\n
This is a phenomenal body of work, feeling most akin to the previous two records produced by Raskulinecz while focusing more prominently on textured melodic songwriting. The six-minute \u201csouvenir\u201d is an absolute stunner, with a darkly gorgeous, winding riff from Carpenter weaving in and out of the frame before the tension releases into a haunting melodic hook around the two-minute mark. The track\u2019s extended synth-driven outro, which could have worn out its welcome in the hands of lesser artists, feels completely earned after the roller coaster of sound that preceded it.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
In a recent interview with Zane Lowe, Deftones talked about how Raskulinecz provides them with an outside ear, whose feedback helps the band edit their extended jam sessions into cohesive tracks. That cohesion of purpose shined brightly on both of the previous Raskulinecz-produced albums, and provides a direct through-line from those records to private music. \u201ci think about you all the time\u201d builds masterfully, starting with just Moreno\u2019s vocals and a few strummed chords before the whole band enters to provide one of the most breathtaking melodic rushes from the band since \u201cSextape\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cdeparting the body\u201d closes out the sonic journey of private music by proving that Deftones still have new tricks up their sleeve. The track begins slowly, the volume at barely a whisper, and Moreno\u2019s vocals enter in a low register rarely heard from him before, sounding almost like a post-punk singer \u2013 before the track explodes in classic Deftones fashion. It is undoubtedly one of the band\u2019s most longingly gorgeous album closers, and is a fitting endpoint for an album that pushes the band\u2019s love for haunting melody further than ever before.<\/p>\n
private music is a late-career masterpiece, the kind of album that most bands dream of making even once \u2013 and yet Deftones have managed to deliver albums of this calibre several times throughout their career. The fact that they\u2019ve once again returned in top form shouldn\u2019t come as much surprise, but it is both a relief and a thrill for longtime fans who have waited for five years for the band\u2019s next move. With each release, Deftones further cement themselves as artists in a league of their own, untethered by expectations or trends, crafting timeless gems that reveal new details with each listen. One can only imagine they will continue to do so for many years to come.<\/p>\n
9.5\/10<\/p>\n