Private Music (Alternate Cover)＜Gold Cassette＞

If listeners thought Ohms was the pinnacle of what Deftones could achieve in their late-era surge, here comes Private Music to run circles around that notion. Perfect from back to front, this tenth set from the alt-metal veterans is a lean, mean stunner. With producer Nick Raskulinecz back in the saddle, Deftones have recorded a flawless album and -- with apologies to the Raskulinecz faithful who hold Diamond Eyes and Koi No Yokan in the highest regards -- this might be the best example of their collaborative artistry. Hes pulled the purest vision from the band and honed it into something quietly breathtaking. Serving as a generational connector between old-school fans who remember the nu-metal days and the legion of younger converts who have absorbed their various evolutionary stages in a more compact time period, Private Music strikes an even better balance than Ohms. Building on the focus and accessibility of that 2020 opus, this set carries it a step further, taking special care to temper the muscular riffs and primal screams with shimmering, melodic programming and catchy chord progressions. Its a journey ideally experienced in one sitting for maximum effect. Sensual, sexy, and soulful -- take whatever meaning of "private" that suits you -- the result is so refreshingly straightforward and confident that you get the feeling Deftones knew they had a triumph on their hands. Towering opener "My Mind Is a Mountain" sets the scene: as Chino Morenos distinctive vocals sway from croon to howl, Stephen Carpenters punishing guitar churns below Abe Cunninghams precision drum attack, and Frank Delgados atmospherics elevate the track to cinematic levels. Along with new bassist Fred Sablan, Deftones lock in for what will be a breathless 42-minute escape. On "Locked Club," Moreno flips from spoken-word declarations to a rapturous sung chorus (the shiver-inducing cry of "Can you feel it?" can be answered with a simple, "Yes, we can!"). Meanwhile, the lurching low-end, knuckle-drag riffage of the menacing "Ecdysis" will bring a glimmer to the eye of any old-school fan, just as the atmospheric production and heralding synths remind us just how much theyve evolved since 1995. Those vocal highs from "Locked Club" are later bested by those on the expansive centerpiece "Souvenir," which is powerful enough to inspire immediate ascension. Soaring above the thick low end of Carpenters sludgy, dirty riffs, its the unrivaled highlight of this album. "Milk of the Madonna" careens along an almost jubilant storm of bouncing riffs and pogo drums, just as the furious "Cut Hands" suddenly launches listeners back to the Adrenaline days with spit verses, glitchy delivery, unnerving sonics, and a monstrous breakdown for the ages. The tender "I Think About You All the Time" and the heady, swaggering dub of "Metal Dream" provide interesting breathers, but otherwise this is a lean, no-filler assault that should please all corners of their wide fandom. Going two for two in the 2020s so far, Deftones maintain their position as one of the greatest bands of their generation. Throw on a pair of headphones and get lost with Private Music. ~ Neil Z. Yeung

近作の中でもヘヴィーな作風で、シンプルなリフで押すお家芸が冴え渡った10作目。近年もビリー・アイリッシュが影響源として名を挙げる彼らのテクスチャーは、今作でさらに強化。重厚な演奏に絡みつく繊細なヴォーカル、シューゲイズ/アンビエントな奥行きを持つメロディーの美しさが、異形のオルタナ・メタルに押し上げている。王者の風格漂う傑作である。
bounce (C)荒金良介