Many reviews are also bad because they rely on what I would call the "Descriptor Effect." This is because instead of using their own words to explain the content of the music, they list off preset vibes and established genres that just end up making the album sound like a formless collection of stuff. This reviewer actually understands the value of context in their first paragraph, and lends creedence to the idea that Deftones are back after a bit of a lull in their discography. But they fail to explain this because they can only see Private Music through the descriptors.

What is the "vibe" of Diamond Eyes besides having heavy guitars and lush atmosphere? How does that sever it from being associated with shoegaze or black metal? They go out of their way to call the music "dark ambient" and "post-metal" as though these genres were conscious decisions from the band during production. Even if that were the case, saying this can invite vastly different interpretations from the reader that the music cannot live up to. When I think dark ambient, I think of Lustmord or Zoviet France. When I hear the word post-metal, I want to fucking vomit.

I actually want to be charitable here because the person who wrote this review is young, but that just goes to show how low the standards have become. When I see someone say a band "locked the fuck in" and "did a thing" I can only assume they're incapable of achieving deeper thoughts about the music they like. And there's nothing wrong with that, except when others read these amateurish musings and go on to write their thoughts the same way. Do you understand how many albums in 2025 I've read reviews for where the entire thing is nullified by claiming it's "peak?"