Released in 2025 via Reprise/Warner, Deftones’ Private Music is a dynamic and immersive addition to the band’s discography, blending crushing riffs, atmospheric textures, and emotional depth into a cohesive listening experience. Marking their first full-length since 2020’s Ohms, the album finds the band balancing heaviness and melody with remarkable confidence.
The album opens with my mind is a mountain, immediately drawing the listener into lush, layered guitars, subtle electronics, and Chino Moreno’s expressive vocals. Throughout Private Music, tracks like locked club and departing the body showcase Deftones’ ability to alternate between aggressive, riff-driven passages and expansive, reflective interludes. The band’s characteristic tension between intensity and atmosphere permeates the record, creating a sense of both immediacy and emotional resonance.
Instrumentation is tight and precise. Stephen Carpenter’s low-tuned riffs provide a heavy anchor, while Moreno’s vocals shift seamlessly from whispered vulnerability to impassioned screams. Frank Delgado’s keyboards and samples add texture and depth, and Abe Cunningham’s drumming navigates complex rhythms with energy and subtlety. Production emphasizes clarity and space, allowing each layer to shine without sacrificing power or impact.
Private Music is not just heavy; it is an album that rewards careful listening. Its blend of aggression, melody, and atmosphere demonstrates Deftones’ continued maturity and evolution, offering both long-time fans and new listeners a rich, immersive experience.
Ultimately, Private Music stands as one of Deftones’ most compelling releases in recent years a record that balances sonic weight, emotional nuance, and compositional ambition, reaffirming the band’s place as innovators in modern alternative metal.
