Private Music (stylized in all lowercase) is the tenth studio album by American alternative metal band Deftones. It was released on August 22, 2025, through Reprise and Warner Records. It was preceded by two singles, "My Mind Is a Mountain" and "Milk of the Madonna". The album was produced by Nick Raskulinecz, who previously worked on the band's albums Diamond Eyes (2010) and Koi No Yokan (2012). It is the band's first album to feature the group's touring bassist, Fred Sablan. The band's first studio album since 2020's Ohms, Private Music marks the longest release gap between two Deftones albums. The album was nominated for Best Rock Album at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards.
Background Private Music marks the first Deftones album since Diamond Eyes (2010) not to feature bassist Sergio Vega, who left the band in 2021. Fred Sablan, who became the group's touring bassist a year later, cowrote and played on the album. Moreno performed more of the guitar parts on Private Music than previous albums due to Stephen Carpenter’s health problems which were later diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. Private Music has been described as alternative metal and shoegaze.
Critical reception
Additionally, DIY said that track "Metal Dream" "embodies the ebb and flow most, taking the frontman back to the verge of nu metal rap with remarkable precision, far from cliche or pastiche, and paired with an ever-mesmerising chorus." NME's Andrew Trendell awarded Private Music a full five stars and concluded: "Very much a whole journey through a full-bodied and expansive fever dream, but this time somehow spiritual, intimate and direct, Deftones’ 10th album is a gift for fans old, new, and certainly finding them in the very distant future. Their peers can’t touch them."
Accolades Year Organization Category Result 2026 Grammy Awards Best Rock Album
Track listing
Notes All songs are stylized in all lowercase, except track 6, which is stylized as "cXz". "Metal Dream" is stylized as "~metal dream".
Personnel Credits adapted from the album's liner notes and Tidal.
Deftones Chino Moreno – vocals, guitar Stephen Carpenter – guitar Frank Delgado – keyboards, samples Abe Cunningham – drums
Additional contributors Fred Sablan – bass Deftones – production Nick Raskulinecz – production, engineering, recording Rich Costey – mixing Howie Weinberg – mastering Will Borza – mastering Nathan Yarborough – engineering Clemente Ruiz – additional engineering on "Ecdysis"
Charts
Weekly charts + Chart performance for Private Music Chart (2025) Peakposition Australian Albums (ARIA) 3 Croatian International Albums (HDU) 1 Danish Albums (Hitlisten) 20 French Rock & Metal Albums (SNEP) 1 German Rock & Metal Albums (Offizielle Top 100) 2 Icelandic Albums (Tónlistinn) 9 Italian Albums (FIMI) 20 Japanese Digital Albums (Oricon) 17 Japanese Download Albums (Billboard Japan) 21 Japanese Western Albums (Oricon) 19 Lithuanian Albums (AGATA) 29 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) 2 Norwegian Albums (IFPI Norge) 39 Portuguese Albums (AFP) 4 Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) 13 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) 25 US Top Rock & Alternative Albums (Billboard) 1
Year-end charts + Year-end chart performance for Private Music Chart (2025) Position Croatian International Albums (HDU) 13
References