Deftones Private Music

Deftones have officially announced their long-awaited tenth studio album, Private Music, set for release on August 22, 2025 via Reprise and Warner Records. This marks the band's first new record in five years, following 2020’s Ohms, and also the first since bassist Sergio Vega’s departure in 2021. Longtime collaborator Nick Raskulinecz, who produced fan favorites Diamond Eyes and Koi No Yokan, returns to helm the production, signaling a potential return to the band’s sharpest and most melodic sounds.

The album’s lead single, “My Mind Is a Mountain,” dropped on July 10, introducing listeners to a dense, atmospheric, and emotionally intricate soundscape. Fans can expect a mix of heavy guitar-driven tracks and experimental ambiance—hallmarks of the Deftones aesthetic. The tracklist spans 11 songs, with titles like locked club, milk of the madonna, ~metal dream, and departing the body, all hinting at introspective and otherworldly themes. The band recorded the album across Malibu, Joshua Tree, and Nashville, grounding the record in both desert mysticism and studio polish.

Stylistically, Private Music has been described by early insiders as a “lean, masterfully paced” album that blends psychedelia, nature imagery, and emotional vulnerability with Deftones’ signature ferocity. The typography and track names (all lowercase or symbolically stylized) suggest a more abstract, conceptual project. It's a departure from straightforward alt-metal, drifting further into atmospheric territory while maintaining the gut-punch heaviness the band is known for.

To coincide with the album release, Deftones will embark on a North American tour kicking off August 22 in Vancouver. Support acts include Phantogram, IDLES, The Barbarians of California, and select dates with System of a Down. The band teased Private Music in early July during a surprise moment at Crystal Palace Park in London, flashing the album title and Roman numerals across the stage visuals—fueling fan speculation that finally paid off.

With Private Music, Deftones seem poised to evolve yet again—merging the violent and the beautiful, the primal and the surreal. If the lead single is any indication, this could be one of their most focused and emotionally charged albums in over a decade.