Welcome to Dissected, where we disassemble a band’s catalog, a director’s filmography, or some other critical pop-culture collection in the abstract. It’s exact science by way of a few beers. This time, we follow Deftones’ career, from their 1995 debut, Adrenaline, to their most recent effort, 2025’s private music.

Deftones are a rare band who appeal to metalheads and shoegazers alike, offering a sound that’s both heavy and ethereal. And they’re also a rare band who really hasn’t produced a “bad” album, which makes ranking Deftones’ discography a difficult task. Right away, you’ll see that the “last place” album is a very solid effort.

While Deftones may have emerged out of the nu-metal scene of the mid ’90s, their musical maturity and sonic evolution over the past 30 years has distanced the Sacramento, California, outfit from others in that category. Now, placing a genre on Deftones’ music seems like a fruitless endeavor, as their sound is really undefinable.

Led by Chino Moreno’s soaring vocals, and the loud/quiet dynamic of his talented bandmates, Deftones are perhaps the most consistent “heavy” rock act of the past quarter century. Having tragically lost their longtime bassist Chi Cheng in 2013, Deftones have triumphed in their second act, continuing to release quality albums in recent years.

With no weak albums in their discography, this ranking resulted in a big debate among its four writers. So, for now, it’s time to be quiet and drive through Deftones’ masterful discography.

— Spencer Kaufman, Managing Editor

Editor’s Note: This ranking was updated with the inclusion of Deftones’ most recent album, 2025’s private music.

Back to School of Thought: Gore is perhaps the second best example of why Deftones are as highly regarded as they are. The chief example is, of course, our #1 album, but for an album as good as Gore to rank last on this list speaks volumes about the overall quality of the band’s discography. Like other albums on this list, Gore showcases the dynamic conflict between vocalist Chino Moreno’s dreamier, artsier impulses and guitarist Stephen Carpenter’s heavier desires. At its best, Gore displays why it is precisely that tension that propels the band to its greatest heights, being one of the few bands to satisfactorily transcend the nu-metal label by being so broad sonically and so consistent in quality to make the genre tag feel only occasionally appropriate. But likewise Gore is marred by the occasional muddled tunes and a tracklist that feels more at odds with itself than a coherent statement.

Gore may be the weakest of the Sergio Vega era that began with Diamond Eyes, but this is still Deftones we are talking about. Tracks like “(L)MIRL”, “Phantom Bride”, and the title track may be lesser versions of similar ideas that appeared on the previous two records, but they still feel like they clobber the hell out of most songs by other groups attempting similar combinations of arthouse synth-led dreamy material with heavy post-hardcore/metal driven punch. There is no denying that stacked up against Deftones other LPS, Gore is something of a weaker sibling to its more accomplished partners, but on its own it’s still no slouch.

In the House of Fly (Best Song): “Hearts / Wires” deepens in quality the more time you spend with it, marrying the casual Sade-inspired eroticism of the group with their essential nocturnal heaviness, making it one of their best songs period and a key example of how even on an album where Deftones are not at the top of their game. they’re still very, very good.

Be Quiet for Now: “Pittura Infamante” is an obvious candidate for weakest track on the record. It is not so much that the song is bad on its own as much as it disrupts the momentum of the record, which up until that moment prepares Gore to be comparable to the band’s best efforts. Here, Gore loses steam and never seems to win it back even with its quality back end. — Langdon Hickman

Pick up Gore here.