Deftones’ Private Music arrives as the band’s long-awaited tenth studio album, carrying with it the weight of expectation built from nearly three decades of powerful records. Known for mixing aggression, atmosphere and vulnerability in equal measure, Deftones have rarely missed the mark. Sadly, this latest release does not live up to their impressive past.
The album opens with “my mind is a mountain,” a track that shows flashes of the band’s trademark energy, and later presents “milk of the madonna,” another single carrying even more aggression and melody, making you wonder what happened to the rest of the album this song should’ve been part of. These tracks stand out at first listen, but they do not have the lasting impact or depth of the group’s past highlights. What follows is a set of songs that vary in mood and tone, including “locked club,” “ecdysis,” “souvenir,” “cXz,” “i think about you all the time,” “cut hands,” “metal dream” and “departing the body.” While each has some interesting touches, they struggle to fit together into something more meaningful overall.
That lack of flow is what makes Private Music frustrating. The band still know how to build dynamic sounds and moods, but the record depends more on small moments than on fully formed ideas. Too often, the songs feel unfinished, leaving the listener searching for the weight and focus that usually define a Deftones album.
For a band with such a remarkable history, from the raw urgency of Around The Fur to the groundbreaking White Pony and the strength of Diamond Eyes and Ohms, Private Music feels disappointing. It is polished, modern and at times beautiful, but it lacks the focus, energy and spark that fans have come to expect. Rather than standing tall with their best work, it ends up as a weaker entry in an otherwise legendary catalogue.
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