For over three decades, Deftones have been more than just a cornerstone of the alternative metal scene — they've been its visionaries.

The GRAMMY-winning quartet — comprised of frontman Chino Moreno, guitarist Stephen Carpenter, turntablist Frank Delgado, and drummer Abe Cunningham — carved out their own unique space during a time when nu-metal reigned supreme. Now, 36 years later, Deftones' 10th LP proves that the group remains as genre-defying and untouchable as ever.

Set for release on Aug. 22, private music marks Deftones' first new album in five years, following 2020's Ohms. Reuniting with longtime collaborator and GRAMMY-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz, the band leans into the sonic territory they've honed over decades, previewing the LP with two singles that show their wide-ranging abilities: the blistering "My Mind Is A Mountain," which taps into their heavier side, and "Milk Of The Madonna," which features shoegaze-inspired guitars, rhythmic drums, and Moreno's soulful yet razor-sharp voice.

According to a press release, the album meditates on the "beauty and peril of nature, the challenge of cultivating a positive mindset and visions of a journey beyond the physical realm." Seemingly capturing Deftones at their most expansive, the album, as the statement adds, is "at once a psychedelic voyage and a skull-rattling wallop" — and ultimately, "the latest peak in a catalog filled with immersive, emotive triumphs." 

Emerging from the backstreets of Sacramento in the late '90s, Deftones carved out a singular place in heavy music by blending aggression with atmosphere. Influenced by a wide range of artists such as Bad Brains, Metallica, Depeche Mode, and The Smiths, as well as genres like funk and hip-hop, the band's rhythmic foundation and genre-fluid mindset allowed them to create music as visceral as it was hypnotic.

Their 1995 debut, Adrenaline, quickly became a key album of the nu-metal movement, driven by detuned riffs, hip-hop-inspired beats, and Chino Moreno's shapeshifting vocals that ranged from primal screams to whispered melodies. But it was 1997's Around the Fur and 2000's White Pony that cemented Deftones' legacy. While Around the Fur marked their commercial breakthrough and saw them incorporating shoegaze textures into their heavy sound, White Pony fully embraced sonic experimentation, with the band swapping raw aggression for ambient synths and surreal lyricism, showcasing Deftones' fearlessness in evolving.

Over the next two decades, Deftones continued to evolve without abandoning their core identity. Their 2003 self-titled LP saw them return to their heavy metal roots after proving they can musically go in any direction they wanted with White Pony; 2006's Saturday Night Wrist captured the straining tension the band was going through, shaped by a gruelling creative process. 

2010's Diamond Eyes marked a rebirth for the band following the passing of original bassist, Chi Cheng, and also served as a nod to their earlier sound, drawing comparisons to Around the Fur. 2012's Koi No Yokan was seen by Moreno as a sonic high point, offering a cohesive balance between heaviness and melody. With 2016's Gore, the band deliberately subverted expectations, leaning into dissonance and unpredictability. In 2020, Deftones reunited with longtime producer Terry Date for Ohms, a return to form that revisited their alternative metal roots while sounding newly invigorated.

With Private Music, Deftones are ready to remind everyone why and how they became the masters of balancing beauty and brutality. In honor of a new chapter, a decade-defining discography, and a band that refuses to sit still, check out six tracks that are essential to the DNA of Deftones.

"Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)" ('Around the Fur,' 1997)

Pulled from the band's second album, Around The Fur, "Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)" sees the Sacramento quartet at their most cinematic. Opening with a distorted guitar riff and blending into a shoegaze shimmer, "Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)" creates a sound that is crushing while Moreno sings about wanting to disappear and escape. His vocals are soft, androgynous and filled with desperation and desire.

The track showcased how they had mastered the quiet-loud, soft-heavy dynamics that would go on to become a Deftones signature. There is no denying it is utterly timeless in its beauty and brute force.

Serving as the first single from Deftones' genre-defining album White Pony, "Change" sees Moreno at his most hypnotic, yet restrained, over haunting guitars and a throbbing bassline. "I watched you change/ Into a fly/ I looked away/ You were on fire," the frontman sings, highlighting a new songwriting direction that featured abstract storytelling rather than autobiographical lyrics.

The song is sensual, sultry and unsettling, marking a shift in Deftones' sound that saw them lean into atmosphere over aggression. The band's most commercially successful and well-known track, "Change" solidified their reputation as alternative metal shapeshifters.

Bursting with glistening guitars and a piercing sense of melancholy, "Cherry Waves" is one of Deftones' more soft, slow-burning tracks. Though it may lean on the slower side of things, the track still features fluid guitars and striking drums with a smooth rolling bassline played by late Deftones bassist Chi Cheng. 

The song sees Moreno at his most vocally vulnerable, a sense of quiet devastation with each note he hits. It's an effortless blend of hauntingness and romanticism that highlights how heaviness isn't always spearheaded by volume.

Taken from Deftones' sixth album, Diamond Eyes, "Beauty School" opens with a rhythmic drum pattern that showcases the influence funk and hip-hop beats have had within their work. The drum beat is paired with a crisp guitar riff, laying the groundwork for the grandeur chorus featuring Moreno's vivid lyrics: " I watch you taste it, I see your face/ And I know I'm alive/ Your shooting stars from the barrel of your eyes/ It drives me crazy/ It drives me wild."

"Beauty School" is a dreamy and atmospheric standout within Deftones' discography, especially being included in Diamond Eyes, which marked a new era for the band as their first LP after Cheng's passing. The track serves as a perfect marker to signify how they pushed themselves to become something deeper than another heavy metal band.

After Deftones pushed their sound in several different directions between Diamond Eyes and 2020's Ohms, private music signals a return to their roots but with a refined edge — and the album's lead single, "my mind is a mountain," shows just that.

With a raging guitar riff, pounding drum beat and Moreno's delicate yet assertive vocals, "my mind is a mountain" blends elements that have been central to Deftones' DNA from the beginning. But this time around, they elevated what they do best: tight, aggressive riffs, spacious production and emotionally charged vocals, resulting in an album that feels confident and deliberate. 

"my mind is a mountain" ends with a heavenly and melodic breakdown, highlighting how Deftones have managed to perfect the balance between beauty and brutality. Not only does the first taste of private music hint that they're still driven by that dichotomy nearly four decades on, but it proves that Deftones' shoegaze-laced take on heavy metal is truly one of a kind.