On July 10th, 2025, Deftones released "my mind is a mountain," the first taste of new music from the band since 2020's Grammy-nominated Ohms. Their eighth studio album private music is due out on August 22nd, but how did those of us at The Nu Metal Agenda receive this first glimpse?
Lucia Z. Liner: Immediately, the vibes of the song feel like something from Diamond Eyes, with its sludgier tones and Chino going into his crooning voice for the verses. Stephen Carpenter's guitar tone is about what I'd expect from him, particularly in his switch to seven- and eight-string guitars in recent years: beefy but not muddy, with the mids and highs not getting lost in the mix either. It is immediately catchy and easy to hum along to, not overcomplicated, and a solid choice to clue folks into the new record.
Given how long it's been since we've heard new music from Deftones, this is a good, if not safe, way to ease folks into this album cycle. Perhaps the next single will be more experimental or chaotic, but for now, this will absolutely do.
Gabi Brown: Okay, this intro feels promising. This low-string swagger stuff is not complicated but the band is tight and executes it well, and all the vamps go a long way toward selling it. I felt like a fucking baddie walking through Allston with a spring in my step and this in the earbuds.
The chorus/bridge are okay. I’ve heard better and worse from them. They’ve always been a solid band. I’m nervous and excited at the same time, I’m keeping my fingers crossed this isn’t a Gore situation where the first track was good and then it meandered for 40 minutes.
Which brings me to what’s probably a personal problem here: I’m not actually sure what I want from this band. They tried to reinvent the wheel on Gore and I didn’t connect with it, they returned to formula on Ohms and I think I’ll be bummed out if we get Ohms again, honestly they could go anywhere from this starting point and I’m mostly just keeping my fingers crossed for some fun surprises.
Personally I’m holding out for fun grooves and mathy moments like “Rapture” off Saturday Night Wrist, because goddamn, you can’t just tease that shit and never do it again! Guess we’ll find out what we have here next month.
Holiday Kirk: The core of nu metal is pop music. Our biggest and best bands were challenged to write the catchiest songs they could and they all created their most acclaimed works when they were pushing themselves the hardest to succeed commercially. And while nobody thinks of Deftones as a pop-metal act, their biggest, most beloved songs all have accessible choruses and hooks. Think of the “ahhh, ahhh”s from “Change (In the House of Flies)” for example.
But as the Deftones continue to fight off the nu-metal allegations they continue to put distance between themselves and their pop music instincts and, thus, haven’t written a memorable song since 2016’s “Prayers/Triangles.” It’s not that they haven’t written any good songs since then, mind you, it’s just that they’re all very not for me. “my mind is a mountain” continues that trend with another 2 minutes and 51 seconds of pure cruise control. The guitars chug, Chino moans and shrieks but there’s only the faintest outline of a chorus, little to nothing in the hook department, not even a bridge or a middle eight to jolt you to attention. The song kinda just… ends. Less a satisfying resolve than a weak shrug.
I don’t doubt it’s the music they want to be making right now but it shouldn’t surprise when it’s greeted with light enthusiasm and gentle swaying at their live shows, as everyone waits for something they can sing along to.
