Deftones 'private music': Every song ranked best to worst

Deftones dropped their tenth studio album, Private Music, on August 21, 2025, through Reprise and Warner Records. The album is led by singles, My Mind is a Mountain, and Milk of the Madonna, and features 11 tracks in total.

Private Music marks the band's first full-length album in five years since the 2020's Ohms. The album drop comes six weeks after the rock band first announced the album with a cover art. The band also hosted private listening parties, leading up to the album's release, between August 19-21 in Amsterdam, Mexico City, Los Angeles, London, Melbourne, New York City, Sydney, Toronto, Vancouver, Berlin, Paris, and their home city, Sacramento.

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Deftones' Private Music every song ranked

Let's look at some of the fan favorites from the latest album.

1. cut hands

cut hands needs to be on the top of the list, for its aggressive and playful showmanship, which stands out. Pitchfork has called the track "an honest-to-god rap-metal song and honest-to-god highlight with Chino swaggering like "a tetchy lounge singer jabbing his martini glass at the audience."

2.cXZ

cXz features dreamy atmospheres that collide with restless beats. The track perfectly captures the push-pull dynamic that the band seems to master at coupled with lush choruses and a tight, almost impatient rhythm.

3. i think about you all the time

This is the album's emotional core, and opens itself up completely. The track evokes a cinematic sense of longing with NME scoring it as a "gorgeous Deftones love song."

4. locked club

If Deftones ever decided to host a dark, stylish party, Locked Club would be the soundtrack. The track is well-balanced, it is sharp-edged but still groovy, and it balances aggression and sophistication well.

5. souvenir

Boolin Tunes has called this track darkly gorgeous, while NME has mentioned its "sky-reaching mini-epic" feel. The track builds patience and rewards repeat listens with new textures and layers with each play.

6. milk of the madonna

Pitchfork describes this track as "lean...slides with a luxurious efficiency" while NME says the track is "brilliantly Deftones-as-f**k".

7. ecysis

This is probably one of the most experimental tracks on the album, with alternative and synth-heavy sounds. It has a metallic crunch, and Louder Sound calls it a "Smashing Pumpkins-meets-new order-gone-metal gem."

8. infinite source

Serene and meditative, it's not a track built to impress on the first listen. Pitchfork mentions its chorus has a "sheen of heavenly valediction," giving a sense of calm and finality.

9. metal dream

Not a crowd pleaser, with its minimalistic and hypnotic approach. The lyrics are paired with uneasy bass tones that feel intentionally disorienting.

10. my mind is a mountain

Although it is the lead single, it stands at the bottom since other tracks are more influential and show more experimentation.

11. departing my body

A haunting cinematic closer, and perfect to sign off the album. It's a slow fade into oblivion and focuses on mood over melody.

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With Private Music, Deftones once again prove their ability to evolve while staying true to their unmistakable sound. From raw aggression to dreamy introspection, the album offers a little bit of everything for both longtime fans and new listeners, cementing its place as one of the band’s most ambitious releases to date.