Deftones' Private Music: 2025 Album Release and Tour

Feature Photo: benjgibbs, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Sacramento alternative metal pioneers released an 11-track album featuring the singles “My Mind Is a Mountain” and “Milk of the Madonna” in August 2025.

After nearly five years between studio albums, Sacramento’s beloved alternative metal outfit Deftones released their highly anticipated tenth studio album, Private Music, on Friday, August 22, 2025. The 11-track collection marked the band’s first full-length effort since 2020’s critically acclaimed Ohms, which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and became their sixth top 10 album.

The album’s arrival followed an expertly orchestrated rollout that began six weeks earlier when the band shared the record’s striking cover art on social media. The minimalist image featured an albino snake coiled on a vibrant green background, accompanied by the cryptic message: “private music | out august 22.”

Leading the charge were two powerful singles that showcased the band’s evolved sound. “My Mind Is a Mountain” debuted atop the Hot Hard Rock Songs chart, while “Milk of the Madonna” followed approximately one month later. Both tracks demonstrated the atmospheric heaviness that had defined Deftones’ career for more than three decades.

Following its release, Private Music debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and topped Billboard’s Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums, Top Alternative Albums, and Top Hard Rock Albums charts.

The complete tracklist revealed an intriguing collection of titles including “Locked Club,” “Ecdysis,” “Infinite Source,” “Souvenir,” “cXz,” “I Think About You All the Time,” “Cut Hands,” “~metal dream,” and “Departing the Body.”

The album was developed and recorded across multiple locations, including sessions in Malibu and Joshua Tree, California, as well as Nashville, Tennessee, with producer Nick Raskulinecz. Those environments likely contributed to the record’s expansive sonic palette.

A Legacy Three Decades in the Making

Formed in Sacramento in 1988, Deftones emerged from California’s alternative metal scene alongside contemporaries like Korn and System of a Down. By the time of Private Music, the band featured vocalist Chino Moreno, guitarist Stephen Carpenter, Abe Cunningham on drums, Fred Sablan on bass, and Frank Delgado on keyboards and samples.

Deftones had consistently pushed the boundaries of heavy music, incorporating elements of shoegaze, post-rock, and experimental music into their signature sound.

Their breakthrough came with 1995’s Adrenaline, followed by the watershed moment of 1997’s Around the Fur, which established their reputation for crafting both crushing heaviness and ethereal beauty.

Albums like White Pony (2000) and Diamond Eyes (2010) cemented their status as innovators, proving that heavy music could be both intellectually engaging and emotionally resonant.

The band had weathered significant challenges, including the tragic 2008 car accident that left bassist Chi Cheng in a coma. He passed away in 2013, but Deftones continued to emerge stronger, with each album representing a new chapter in their artistic evolution.

In the days leading up to Private Music’s release, Deftones created an intimate connection with their global fanbase through a series of exclusive listening parties.

These sessions took place across 12 major cities from August 19 to 21, 2025, including Amsterdam, Mexico City, Los Angeles, London, Melbourne, New York City, Sydney, Toronto, Vancouver, Berlin, Paris, and their hometown of Sacramento.

This grassroots approach to album promotion reflected the band’s deep understanding of their audience and their preference for meaningful connections over conventional marketing strategies.

Supporting the Album on the Road

The album’s release coincided with another leg of the band’s 2025 North American headline tour, which followed memorable performances at iconic venues including Madison Square Garden in New York City and the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, earlier that year.

The late-summer tour dates began with a Vancouver performance on Friday, August 22, followed by additional Canadian and U.S. shows.

For longtime fans and newcomers alike, Private Music represented both a continuation and evolution of Deftones’ singular artistic vision. After nearly five years between albums, the band’s return reinforced their position as one of alternative metal’s most consistently compelling voices.

Private Music was released on major streaming platforms and in physical formats worldwide.