Deftones ninth LP further solidifies their already secure position in the alternative metal hall of fame.
It’s hard to imagine who would have been more surprised than Deftones themselves when they found out that their shoegaze inspired classic ‘Cherry Waves’ from the 2006 album Saturday Night Wrist was proving to be a viral hit on TikTok. What’s less surprising is the impact that going viral in the modern-age can have, and has had on the bands contemporary popularity. Whilst their peers have faded into legacy acts, the Bakersfield quintet are enjoying a deserved late career renaissance.
Over their thirty-something year career, Deftones have remained a consistent force amongst waning interest in the sub-genre they once defined. After bursting onto the scene at the height of the much derided nu-metal era, the band made no secret of their desire to musically distance themselves. Perhaps it was a fear of being found guilty by association after early albums exhibited a familiar rap-metal style, they broke away sonically from the bleached hair, goatees and faux-rage with 2000’s White Pony.
Since that pivotal work, often cited as their magnum opus, Deftones have consistently refined their sound into something which escapes categorisation. Grungey, shoegaze inspired alt-metal might be what comes closest. After a five-year gap between 2020’s Ohms, the band parted ways with bassist Sergio Vega leaving the band and replaced him with Fred Sablan, former touring bassist for Marilyn Manson. They also re-enlisted the services of producer Nick Raskulinecz, who produced 2012’s Koi No Yokan. Perhaps it’s no surprise that the end product was their best work since their last outing together.
The result is a composed, lyrically introspective album which seems to nod towards their newly found Gen-Z audience by adopting a particular aesthetic; binning off all capitalisation on their song titles. Yet the album art makes a nod to their storied past; private music is the latest record to join their very own pantheon of acclaimed albums featuring a white animal on the cover. Perhaps it should be no surprise that this generation’s love of nostalgic longing is a match made in heaven for the Californian’s seductive musical style.
Deftones’ strength has always been their ability to pair crushing riffs with transcendent atmospheres, a once unusual but now common combination of sound which permeates throughout their studio work. private music makes no attempt to reinvent the wheel, but rather to double down on their own meticulously unique formula. The album’s opening track my mind is a mountain sets the tone with familiarly pulverizing riffs, with the following locked club offering little respite from the pummelling wall of sound generated from the ever formidable Stephen Carpenter’s guitar. In between the chaos we find the introspective six-minute odyssey souvenir, and the sultry i think about you all the time, which each feel as if they could be parallel universe re-imaginings of their own songs Rosemary & Sextape.
Crucially, its modest 42 minute run-time avoids including any weaker, filler songs. It might not have the same rippling aftershocks of their older, more confrontational work, but it stands up as a towering achievement for a band who prove that consistency is a virtue worth striving for. But after all their years in the game, could this album be the last we see of Deftones? Lyrically, they repeatedly allude to such a possibility. On Infinite Source and Departing the Body there are multiple glaring references; the former including the wistful line ‘Last time adorning the stage, A love we chased and found. The last ride we’re gonna take, a final wave and bow.’ If this is to be their parting gift to the world, it’s some way to sign off.
