Striding in, five years after dropping ‘Ohms’, Sacramento’s rock royalty return with a cleverly named tenth studio record. ‘private music’, at face value, gifts us a title that works for and resonates with all, alongside the 11 terrific tracks. From ‘White Pony’ to the bold, neon-green artwork emblazoned with a massive white snake, it’s a visual departure yet one that smacks so truly to form sonically. And the stylised lowercase names may further stoke the new-era hypothesis. 

Right now, Deftones are experiencing a renewed popularity 37 years into their career. This, of course, has plenty to do with their recent run of UK shows (where we covered them in Halifax — thanks again Rhodes Media!). You too may have caught frontman Chino Moreno being interviewed by BBC Radio’s Jack Saunders. In this, Chino said he’d first been drawn to playing drums. And now, especially after hearing this new album, I can’t help thinking how vastly different this iconic band would’ve sounded. Those signature, almost purred, ethereal tones…

My first thoughts? We have here something probably destined to be another seminal Deftones offering — the critically acclaimed reviews are certainly teeing it up as so, and I won’t argue with them either. I’m fully on board, and you’re about to be, too. 

The record starts with the first single they debuted from this campaign, ‘my mind is a mountain’ — a romping, drums-first, metal tune that’s both bombastic and increasingly catchy. It kicks in as though a trigger’s just released the bullet from a gun, setting out Deftones’ stall of heavy instrumental artillery. It’s a short banger that fades jaggedly into ‘locked club’, which directly follows the vibe, just at a slower pace. The echoed, distilled vocals are very Chino. So while it does seem a bit different to some of their most popular, older material, it’s unequivocally theirs when the chorus chimes in. 

Stabbing synth pulsations — matched with offset strums — then build into this seductive rumble of the bass. ‘ecdysis’ is candy for rockers, even before the drums come in. If you were hoping for shreddy, this is the part where you realised you’ve just struck diamond-encrusted gold. Riotous and unashamedly guaranteed to bring on the head-banging, it’s about to soundtrack a mosher’s daily existence. Albeit another shorty, this is where I feel as though we’re getting properly greeted and snuggled into prime, classic Deftness territory. 

A ringing of feedback uncoils into ‘infinite source’, which I added to the release date’s new recommendations roundup. Why? Well, there’s just this delirious shoegaziness to it — isn’t there? I can’t shake that the tender rawness dubs it fitting for a transcendent romantic film score, too. This will be the song that’ll garner the most new fans for them.

Despite the shortness of a handful of the tracks, ‘souvenir’ tips the six-minute mark. Percussive and flecked with gentle yet scuzzy pedals, it’s ripe for a stadium show. You don’t get much peace before it launches into volatile pre-choruses. It’s the sort of number that’s ideal for those of you who can really stay in the moment, rather than those seeking quick bursts of chugging riff wizardry. Again, though, all the usual ingredients have been poured into the mix.

Sucker for hardcore metal? ‘cXz’ is probably your strongest match. Ferociousness and addictive magnetism furnish it with the desired hallmarks to pull in these kinds of listeners. Oh yeah, I’ll be cranking this up in an angsty mood. A frustration-venting tool for the masses.

It wouldn’t be normal if they didn’t break things up with something slower — ‘i think about you all the time’ does just that. An on-the-nose title paves the way to expectations of emotion, and you don’t get to anything more than Chino and the guitar until 1:43 in. And even then, it’s like waves crashing to shore in slow motion — the new ‘Sextape’, if you will. It’s as sombre and reflective as that. 

The second single of the pre-album campaign, ‘milk of the madonna’, is next unleashed. And she’s even more beautiful hidden within these other nuggets of brilliance! It’s still unbelievably pacy, creating the ultimate juxtaposition between this and the previous song. There’ll never come a time where I don’t find this as cool as hell; one of my tracks of the year. When that beat drops after the coda, “HOLY GHOST”? Ooft. Too huge for (more) words.

Much more savage than pure rock, the rap-metal vibes are immaculate on ‘cut hands’ — another that wouldn’t have been out of place in their older works. The crisp drum-skin thumps against the shrieked lyrics? Just sublime. ‘~metal dream’ is as electronically fuelled and jaunty as you could want from something with a name like that. It’s of a similar style to the rap-metal bop before, but it gets shoegazy and more quintessentially Deftones again in the chorus. That said, the way it begins gives a transitional feel, so I’d be keen to hear that worked into a setlist live. 

Electronic, repetitive, haunting… A chilling quality underpins the finale, ‘departing the body’ — as though we’ve all been infected with something musically that’s about to leave us. Uttered vocals rise from speech to sung, yearning words of wisdom. As one of the slower ones, it’s a solid rounding off to proceedings, but not my fave of the bunch. 

I’ve been gripped, enthralled and excited by what this band have served us here — and I can’t wait to rinse it on repeat. Deftones are kings with a biblical presence, and I’ll gladly continue following them. 

If you only download one track, let it be: ‘milk of the madonna’