On Aug. 22, Deftones released a new album titled “Private Music”. The full album is 11 songs. It was preceded by two singles titled “My Mind is a Mountain” and “Milk of the Madonna.”
Deftones is a nu-metal band that became very popular in the 90’s. This group was formed in Sacramento, CA in 1988, when the members were just high school students. In 2009, their album, “Eros” was set to come out. Unfortunately, it never did due to a car accident, injuring their bassist. A few songs have been unintentionally released from this album.
I have been a fan of Deftones for about a year now. I was shocked when I found out that they really were releasing a new album. I even put a countdown on Spotify to remind me when the album was going to come out, so I could listen as soon as it dropped.
The band is half a decade older since their last album, “Ohms” released in 2020, and most of their new music can not compare to what modern technology could do. The band doesn’t use this modern technology, giving them an 90’s style sound and distinct uniqueness. Their music is so personally thought-out, it’s impossible for me to not have an abundance of appreciation for them.
Here is a breakdown of two of my favorite songs from this album and what stuck out to me the most.
My Mind is a Mountain
At first, I was questioning whether this song would be good or not due to the beginning being so repetitive. The beat felt like it would continue throughout the song and I was not here for it. As the song progressed, I realized it was more than just the beat.
The lyrics begin with “the cold escapes, my heart is drenched (through.)” And later on, “the storm remains.”
With the title of this song being based upon a mountain, it almost feels as if Chino Moreno, the lead singer of Deftones, is referring to his heart as having storms. And not just regular storms, but strong, powerful storms. The thrashiness of the drums really add to this aesthetic. As good as the beat was, the lyrics were also very powerful.
I think about you all the time
Compared to Deftones’ usual style of music, this song was very different. It is more laid back, almost relaxing. For example, Deftones is usually on my gym playlist. Their music is loud and grungy. I could not fall asleep to any of their music until I found this song. The first half of the song is storytelling, with lyrics like:
“As we sink Inside of your war ship
Lay next to me
Our theme plays and we’re out of our minds, singing”
This is saying, stay with me even when things get hard. Deftones usual aggressive tone is entirely reversed in this song.
Near the end of the song, the lyrics change.
“Riding your wave
Wrapped in your calm
And your arms over my head”
These lyrics remind me of the song “If The World Was Ending” by JP Saxe. The feelings of sadness, love, solemness all together in one song. Overall, this song was amazing and I’m glad they released a slower, more emotional song in their album rather than only louder songs.
Overall, this new album quickly became my favorite. I loved the lyrics, the beat and the contrasting personalities of Moreno that we get to experience. Listening to these songs felt like I was inside of the studio with him, hearing the lyrics that his own emotions led him to sing. I added every single song to my Deftones playlist and I have listened to it every single day since. Deftones should release more music because this album was truly amazing.
You can stream this album on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Amazon Music and SoundCloud.
