Released: 2025
Genres: Alternative Metal, Shoegaze
The Musiquarium’s private music Review Score: 10 out of 10
Where most bands that originated during the nu metal craze of the mid nineties have disappeared from the modern cultural zeitgeist, Deftones continues to defy the burden of time and are sounding as fresh and exciting as ever, with private music being yet another jewel in their crown.
In typical Deftones fashion, the album takes no time to get started, with the exhilarated my mind is a mountain, which also served as the lead single. locked club and cXz are similarly heavy tracks, showing that 30+ years of existence has not rounded off any of the band’s edges, whilst still incorporating that sexy, shoegaze bliss that has counterbalanced the band’s darkness for so many years. ecdysis and ~metal dream contain some of their best basslines since the White Pony track, Rx Queen (R.I.P. Chi Cheng).
infinite source and i think about you all the time join the upper echelon of Deftones ballads, alongside the likes of Teenager, Sextape and Entombed, as the band transcends the pitfalls of ballads, transforming them from something once dreaded (think of those awful eighties power ballads) to something sensual that you long to hear. souvenir is one of the album’s lengthiest songs, ending with an ambient instrumental outro, which plays just long enough to be enjoyed, but not too long to overstay its welcome.
milk of the madonna was the second single released for the album and features all of the band’s best elements in one place. The nu metal tendencies on cut hands wouldn’t sound out of place on Around the Fur, while simultaneously sounding modern. departing the body is the perfect way to end the album, with a slow-burning intro and outro, the latter of which has you feeling like the melatonin is kicking in and you’re drifting off into a deep sleep.
Chino Moreno’s vocals sound amazing as ever, like nothing has changed in three decades. Deftones shows no signs of slowing down, with private music being one of their best albums yet in a long and storied career.
For credit breakdowns and historic release details, view Deftones on Discogs.
Back to the 2025 Album Guide or the Deftones Album Reviews page.
Written by Brett Nippard
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