private music by Deftones

Deftones private music

87
ChoruScore
12 reviews
Aug 22, 2025
Release Date
Reprise
Label

Deftones's private music arrives as a bracing reunion of tenderness and force, a record where atmosphere and aggression coexist in striking balance. Across professional reviews, critics single out songs like “Souvenir”, “I Think About You All the Time”, “Milk of the Madonna” and “My Mind Is a Mountain” as the album's clearest triumphs, and many praise how slow-to-loud dynamics and lush shoegaze textures push familiar riffs into new emotional territory. The consensus score—86.65/100 from 12 reviews—reflects widespread approval that this is both a career resurgence and a deliberate refinement of the band's signature sound.

Reviewers consistently note the record's juxtaposition of intimacy and brutality: moments of romantic lyricism and echoing, distant production give way to nu-metal signifiers, anthemic choruses and stadium-ready heaviness. Critics praised the replayability of tracks such as “Milk of the Madonna” and “My Mind Is a Mountain” for their catalytic riffs, while quieter pieces like “I Think About You All the Time” and “Infinite Source” were highlighted for emotional payoff and textural depth. Several reviews point to producer influence and measured experimentation—electronic and industrial accents, prog-tinged detours and fuzzed production—that keep the record feeling both nostalgic and fresh.

Not all commentary is unqualified adulation; some critics register unease with the album's reverent callbacks, framing portions as comfort food for long-time fans rather than full reinvention. Still, the prevailing critical consensus frames private music as a vital, well-crafted entry in Deftones' catalog that restores heft without sacrificing the ethereal melodies that define the band. Below, in-depth reviews unpack why the best tracks on private music stand out and whether the record stakes a place among their most memorable releases.

Critics' Top Tracks

The standout songs that made critics take notice

1

souvenir

9 mentions

"when Chino purrs ' Keep warm here beside me holding you tightly / We gaze at the night, we own it, it’s divine ' amidst an atmospheric squall"
Kerrang!
2

i think about you all the time

9 mentions

"and yes, ‘Private Music’ is complete with one of those gorgeous Deftones love songs in the form of ‘I Think About You All The Time’."
New Musical Express (NME)
3

infinite source

8 mentions

"just one tango with “infinite source” will have you convinced it’s the catchiest Deftones track to date"
Sputnikmusic
We’ve been waiting here patiently locked in this state, clocking our time ,” barks Deftones frontman Chino Moreno on ‘Private Music’s monolithic opener and lead single ‘My Mind Is A Mountain’.
N
New Musical Express (NME)
about "my mind is a mountain"
Read full review
10 mentions
82% sentiment

Track Ratings

How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.

View:
1

my mind is a mountain

10 mentions
98
02:50
2

locked club

12 mentions
53
02:52
3

ecdysis

10 mentions
87
03:28
4

infinite source

8 mentions
100
03:32
5

souvenir

9 mentions
100
06:10
6

cXz

9 mentions
62
03:12
7

i think about you all the time

9 mentions
100
04:08
8

milk of the madonna

11 mentions
100
04:08
9

cut hands

11 mentions
35
03:01
10

~metal dream

7 mentions
65
03:02
11

departing the body

7 mentions
71
05:59

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What Critics Are Saying

Deep insights from 13 critics who reviewed this album

100

Critic's Take

In a voice that savours detail and surge, Deftones's private music is framed as a returned hunger, and the best songs - notably “Souvenir” and “My Mind Is A Mountain” - are presented as proof. Production and guitar heft are cited as engines that push tracks like “cXz” and “Milk Of The Madonna” into pacy, forward momentum, which the writer treats as a core reason these songs stand out. The tone is admiring and precise, pitching these songs as the best tracks on private music because they crystallise the album's renewed energy and expansive arrangements.

Key Points

  • The best song, "Souvenir", is best for its six-minute sweep and intimate, atmospheric vocal moment.

Themes

revival producer influence ethereal atmosphere romantic lyricism career resurgence

Critic's Take

Deftones sound feral and tender in equal measure on private music, and the best songs - notably “My Mind Is A Mountain” and “I Think About You All The Time” - confirm why they still lead the pack. Andrew Trendell’s voice revels in the band’s mixture of swooning romance and bruising riffcraft, calling out the opener’s monolithic punch and the record’s gorgeously gothic love song moments. He frames the album as both a stadium-ready barrage and an intimate fever dream, which makes clear the best tracks are those that balance brutality with beauty. This is a reunion that sounds like a continuation - the songs that marry Moreno’s croon with cinematic riffs stand tallest as the best tracks on private music.

Key Points

  • The best song is the monolithic opener “My Mind Is A Mountain” because it lands as a commanding lead single that showcases Moreno's vocal punch.
  • The album's core strengths are its balance of beauty and brutality, genre-fluid textures, and cinematic romantic songwriting.

Themes

beauty and brutality genre-fluidity romantic intimacy doom and cinematic scope reunion with producer

Critic's Take

Deftones return on private music with a record that balances bruising riffs and lush orchestration, and the best songs - “I Think About You All The Time”, “Milk Of The Madonna” and “Ecdysis” - show why. Joshua Mills writes with affection for their ability to be both heavy and heavenly, praising the swooning slow-burn of “I Think About You All The Time” as the album's emotional apex. He also highlights the anthemic swagger of “Milk Of The Madonna” and the poppy, earworm synths of “Ecdysis”, which together answer any question about the best tracks on private music. The review reads like a celebration of consistency - another very good Deftones LP that mixes rousing choruses with textured production.

Key Points

  • The best song is "I Think About You All The Time" for its emotional, swooning production and big chorus.
  • The album's core strengths are blending heavy guitar work with lush textures and anthemic, rousing choruses.

Themes

blend of heaviness and melody nostalgia and early-aughts influence textural shoegaze elements anthemic choruses

Critic's Take

Deftones's Private Music reads like a reinvigoration, balancing ferocity and experimental melody with clear conviction. The reviewer's eye lingers on “my mind is a mountain” as a brisk opener and on the visceral impact of “Milk of the Madonna” as a standout, both emblematic of the album's soft-to-heavy architecture. He praises the band for leaning into gentler moments to amplify the heavy, and singles out the closing turns around “Souvenir” and “cXz” as proof the band still push themselves creatively. It is presented as a confident, clear-sighted record that cements the band at the top of their game.

Key Points

  • ‘Milk of the Madonna’ is best for its chugging guitars and affecting vocals that mark it as a clear standout.
  • The album's core strength is its balance of softer moments and heavier payoffs, yielding a cohesive, reinvigorated Deftones record.

Themes

reinvigoration old vs new production ebb and flow of soft and heavy dynamics vocal craftsmanship

Critic's Take

Paul Weedon hears Deftones as a band at once reverent and restless on private music, and he singles out a handful of true highs. From the opening surge of “my mind is a mountain” to the arena-ready sweep of “souvenir”, the record marries serrated riffs with moments of pensive quiet. He praises the tenderness of “i think about you all the time” as one of Moreno’s most beautiful commitments to tape, while noting how heavier cuts like “cXz” still deliver unfiltered aggression. The result reads as a culmination of past glories and a confident step forward - the best tracks on private music feel both inevitable and surprising.

Key Points

  • ‘Souvenir’ is the best song for its sprawling, arena-ready sweep and thunderous guitar work.
  • The album’s core strength is balancing serrated, heavy riffs with quiet, introspective moments, making the songs feel both familiar and new.

Themes

balance of brutality and grace shoegaze ambience introspection and transcendence sonic evolution
Sputnikmusic logo

Sputnikmusic

Unknown
Aug 21, 2025
88

Critic's Take

Deftones return with private music, an album that revels in comfort while still delivering the best songs on the record. The review insists that “infinite source” is irresistibly catchy and stakes a claim as one of the band’s best songs, while “~metal dream” and “ecdysis” supply towering choruses and earworms that lodge themselves immediately. The voice here is admiring and assured, noting Carpenter’s guitar work and Chino’s dreamier vocals as central to why these tracks stand out. Overall, the record is praised as a reassertion of greatness rather than a radical reinvention, making the best tracks feel like all-timers.

Key Points

  • “infinite source” is singled out as the catchiest and strongest contender for one of Deftones’ best songs.
  • The album’s core strengths are memorable choruses, Carpenter’s guitar tones, and Chino’s more pivotal vocals within familiar, confident songwriting.

Themes

comfort and familiarity catchy choruses production choices vocals prominence measured experimentation
Consequence logo

Consequence

Unknown
Aug 25, 2025
87

Critic's Take

Deftones’s private music reads like comfort food for long-time fans, and the best tracks on the album - especially “my mind is a mountain” and “milk of the madonna” - are barn-burners that revisit the band’s Around the Fur fury. The reviewer relishes the record’s heft and momentum, praising driving cuts like “ecdysis” while noting the appetizing brevity of the lead single. There’s also admiration for the band’s willingness to lean into nu-metal signifiers on songs such as “locked club” and “cut hands”, which make the album feel both familiar and tunefully vital.

Key Points

  • “milk of the madonna” and “my mind is a mountain” stand out as high-energy, arena-ready tracks that best capture the album’s heavy momentum.
  • The album’s core strength is balancing beloved Deftones heavy tropes with fresh ideas and confident nu-metal callbacks.

Themes

return to heavier sound nu-metal revival balance of familiarity and freshness stadium-scale relevance

Critic's Take

In a voice that measures decade-deep craft with affectionate scrutiny, Deftones' private music finds its best songs in the unsettling sweep of “departing the body” and the aching bloom of “i think about you all the time”. The reviewer praises “departing the body” as possibly the best track for its sinister tone, strange guitar experimentation and cryptic lyrics, and highlights “i think about you all the time” as a near-perfect ballad that erupts into a post-rock climax. Also singled out is the single “milk of the madonna”, an alt-rock banger hiding brilliant songwriting behind monumental guitars, making these three the best tracks on private music by merit of atmosphere, composition and replayability.

Key Points

  • The best song is "departing the body" for its eerie experimentation, sinister tone and unsettling lyricism.
  • The album’s core strengths are its nuanced mixing of atmosphere and heaviness and instant replayability across diverse styles.

Themes

nostalgia experimentation atmosphere juxtaposition of tenderness and heaviness replayability
The Quietus logo

The Quietus

Unknown
Aug 22, 2025
80

Critic's Take

I kept thinking about early-2010s nostalgia as I listened to Deftones and their new record private music. The reviewer's voice in the piece leans into that hazy recollection, praising tracks like “infinite source” as "one of the best tunes they’ve dished out in a while" while noting the whole album sounds like a slowed, reverbed memory. Best songs on private music include “infinite source”, “milk of the madonna” and “locked club”, each highlighted for huge riffs, soaring vocals and nocturnal atmosphere. It reads as admiration folded into unease - a vampiric, uncanny triumph that mourns what it fondly imitates.

Key Points

  • The best song is "infinite source" because it crystallizes Deftones' huge riffs, booming drums and soaring vocals while still fitting the album’s fuzzy nostalgia.
  • The album’s core strength is its evocative, nostalgia-soaked production that turns Deftones into a slowed, reverbed memory, creating a haunting, uncanny atmosphere.

Themes

nostalgia memory fuzzed production nu-metal revival distant/echoing sound

Critic's Take

Deftones’ return with private music feels like a long-awaited vindication, and the best songs on the album underline that claim. The opener “my mind is a mountain” and the ferocious “locked club” set the tone, while “ecdysis” and “departing the body” are the standout tracks that justify calling out the best tracks on private music. Moreno’s cryptic lyrics and the band’s blend of atmosphere and metal make these songs feel both intimate and colossal. Overall, the album’s highs — especially “ecdysis” and “departing the body” — mark it as one of their most vital returns.

Key Points

  • The best song is "ecdysis" because the reviewer calls it an early album standout and praises its avant-garde groove.
  • The album’s core strengths are its fusion of atmosphere and heavy aggression, and its ability to reference past eras without nostalgia.

Themes

return heavy/atmospheric fusion nostalgic callbacks intimacy vs aggression prog and experimental influences

Critic's Take

Deftones return on private music with a thrilling mix of nostalgia and forward motion, and the best songs - notably “My Mind Is a Mountain” and “CXZ” - crystallize that balance. The reviewer's tone is ecstatic and personal, praising how “My Mind Is a Mountain” and “Locked Club” reopen the band’s classic nu-metal aura while fresh electronic and industrial textures keep things modern. He repeatedly emphasizes that tracks like “I Think About You All the Time” and “Milk of the Madonna” land their slow-to-loud bangers without slipping, making them among the best tracks on private music. Overall the record reads as a confident, back-to-form triumph that suggests Deftones might be sounding better than ever.

Key Points

  • The best song is highlighted as "CXZ" for its consistency and embodiment of the album's strengths.
  • The album's core strengths are its balance of nostalgia and evolution, melding nu-metal energy with electronic textures and tightened vocal balance.

Themes

nu-metal revival nostalgia vs. evolution balance of chaos and melody electronic/industrial textures

Critic's Take

Deftones’s private music finds the band luxuriating in tension, and the best songs - notably “cXz” and “cut hands” - make that tug feel deliberate and thrilling. Sadie Sartini Garner’s measured admiration surfaces in descriptions that praise both the band’s command of heaviness and their softer textures, explaining why listeners search for the best tracks on private music. The review highlights “cXz” as a dreamy chorus undone by itchy momentum, and crowns “cut hands” an honest-to-god highlight for its swagger and rap-metal bite. This is an album where control and menace combine, which is precisely why fans ask which are the best songs on private music and point to these standouts.

Key Points

  • The best song is best because it balances dreamy chorus writing with tension-shifting momentum.
  • The album’s core strengths are control of texture and the interplay between heaviness and prettiness.

Themes

heaviness vs prettiness artistic control nostalgia and influence tension and restraint