‘Private Music’ Is A Deftones All-Timer

Deftones members left to right: Abe Cunningham (drums), Fred Sablan (bass), Chino Moreno (vocals), Frank Delgado (turntables), and Stephen Carpenter (guitar)

Jimmy Fontain

While at the height of their career, Deftones has doubled down on their newfound success and released one of their most robust albums yet. Private Music, Deftones’ latest LP, is the next best thing that could’ve happened to the band at this point. With now ten studio albums, it’d be understandable if the Sacramento alt-metal outfit phoned in another record just to continue riding the new wave they’ve found with their massive Gen-Z audience. However, instead, Deftones has capitalized on their late-career strides and put together one of their most cohesive and thoroughly enjoyable albums in years.

The Production of Private Music

Front-to-back, Private Music is one of the most polished sounding Deftones albums. The production is consistently punchy and dynamic when it needs to be, with massive guitar hooks piercing through the mix like on “infinite source,” and “milk of the madonna.” Private Music’s instrumentals sound immaculate, but a lot of that is due to Deftones’ band members delivering some career-high performances on this record – vocalist Chino Moreno doesn’t sound like he’s aged a day, guitarist Stephen Carpenter showcases some of his best and most intricate guitar work yet, and Abe Cunningham’s lively drumming keeps song structures compelling.

Deftones returned to work with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who previously worked on the band’s records Diamond Eyes (2010) and Koi No Yokan (2012). Private Music certainly fits within a similar production style as these previous records, though more so with Diamond Eyes. It’s interesting that Deftones decided to revisit working with Raskulinecz. Their previous LP, 2020’s Ohms, saw them return to legendary producer Terry Date who originally captured the lightning in a bottle heard on their early records, Around the Fur (1997) and White Pony (2000).

While Ohms is not as strong of a record as Private Music, both are incredible on the production side of things. However, the band’s decision to work with Raskulinecz again was definitely the right move, especially for the sound the band is pushing on this LP.

The Songwriting of Private Music

It doesn’t need to be overcomplicated when discussing the key factors that make Private Music so compelling, it just boils down to the songs – there’s hardly ever a dull moment throughout the 11 songs on this LP. Deftones seem to have hit the right balance between uptempo groovers like “locked club,” “cXz,” “milk of the madonna,” and melancholic growers like “infinite source,” and “i think about you all the time.” The sheer number of brilliant riffs on Private Music keep the otherwise slower-paced tracks more engaging, along with Moreno’s vocal melodies that manage to scratch the brain after every chorus.

There are tracks that can be dissected for days on this LP, whether it’s the epic finale “departing the body” with its foreboding sludgy atmosphere, or the electrifying riff bouncer “ecdysis.” The variety of unique hard-hitting arrangements on this LP isn’t lacking as it was in previous LPs, making Private Music hard to put down.

Where Does Private Music Stand In Deftones’ Discography

It’s forever impossible to replicate the magic heard on Deftones’ early LPs, namely 1997’s Around the Fur and 2000’s White Pony, but Deftones have never tried to replicate themselves which is in part why they’ve remained such a revered and accomplished band. The best way to describe Private Music is it’s Deftones expanding on all their unique songwriting and sonic elements, but in a way that feels mature and timely. There aren’t songs with Chino screaming like a banshee, nor are there any overindulging atmospheric tracks. Private Music is 11 tightly knit and immaculately produced songs, that showcase some of the best performances and most memorable hooks from the band in decades.

While there is no ‘bad’ Deftones album, there are certainly less favored albums in their discography, a few of which are the albums from the last decade. Private Music is absolutely far and above anything that Deftones have released in recent years, and furthermore there’s an argument for this album standing in the same tier as their other opuses.

It’s not groundbreaking in the heavy music genre nor does it revolutionize Deftones’ sound, but instead Private Music is one of the most respected bands performing at their absolute best. The consistently brilliant songs and production throughout its 42-minute runtime keeps Private Music far more engaging than anything Deftones has done in years. For these reasons, fans will be talking about Private Music for years to come, and there will be no surprise when it’s hailed alongside Deftones’ greatest albums.

Verdict: 9/10