Deftones have officially cranked the volume back up with milk of the madonna, the latest cut from their long-awaited album private music, due out August 22.
It’s their second single in as many months and a ferocious reminder that even after nearly three decades in the game, they still know exactly how to hit like a sledgehammer and float like smoke at the same time.
Following on from last month’s expansive my mind is a mountain, this new track dives deeper into the storm. Guitars come roaring out of the gate, the drums land like cannon fire, and Chino Moreno delivers the kind of vocal that splits the difference between desperation and transcendence.
“Bloody rain / Floods these streets,” he howls, before the chorus explodes into anthemic fire: “Holy ghost / I’m on fire / Holy spirit / I’m on fire.” It’s as grand and cinematic as it is guttural and raw, very much hitting in the classic Deftones sweet spot.
There’s no mistaking the band’s chemistry on this one either. You can feel the weight behind the riffs, the space between the noise, and the precision of a group who’ve been pushing their sound forward without ever dulling the edge.
Private music marks their first album since 2020’s Ohms, and while rumours have swirled for years, the official confirmation didn’t land until their massive Crystal Palace Park headline show earlier this year, where the band unveiled the album title onstage in proper dramatic fashion.
The full record arrives later this month, and in 2026 they’ll be bringing it to Europe and the UK, with arena dates locked in across Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam and more, including a huge night at London’s O2 Arena in February. Australian fans will be hoping they don’t get left out when the next leg’s announced.
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