The GRAMMY Award-winning alternative-metal band, Deftones, released their tenth studio album, private music, on August 22. This is the band’s first release in five years, since their 2020 album Ohms. Thanks to social media and a new generation of fans, Deftones are as popular and as modern as they were in the 1990s.
On private music, Deftones have taken their distinct sound to a new level. The tracklist is filled with heavy-hitting riffs, breakdowns, and atmospheric layers that give the band its unique flavor. Vocalist Chino Moreno showcases his dynamic range from guttural to gentle throughout private music.
The album was first announced in July with the quiet release of the single and first track from the album, “my mind is a mountain.” It has a familiar intensity to the band’s releases in the 2010s. Deftones worked with longtime producer Nick Raskulinecz, who produced their previous albums Koi no Yokan and Diamond Eyes.
Deftones make their stamp on the genre, once again
There are a couple of tracks that seem to show off a completely new vibe for Deftones, including “infinite source” and “metal dream.” It sounds like shoegaze on steroids.
Fans who were hooked on “Sextape” from Deftones' 2010 album, Diamond Eyes, are sure to be gratified when they hear “i think about you all the time.” It’s a ballad with a nice, big stadium sound.
This track separates itself from other Deftones ballads because of the clean production and fullness of the distorted guitars, thanks to guitarist Stephen Carpenter. Chino sings, “We sail/Inside of your warship/You sing your refrain, and I’m out of my mind.”
The heavy dissonance and pounding rhythms throughout private music can be heard in two of the standout tracks, “cut hands” and “milk of the madonna."
The final track of the album, “departing the body,” creeps up like a ghost. It features eerily clean guitars, and Chino’s vocals upfront and growling as though he’s really close on the mic. What a mysterious note to end on! Chino sings, “A dome light, all that remains/Helps split these days apart/And our low rest bodies away/ We watch these grains dissolve.”
In addition to the album, the band released a sequence of visualizers for every song.
On August 23, Deftones kickstarted their month-long North American arena tour in support of private music in Vancouver, BC. The band announced dates for Europe and the UK beginning in January 2026.