Stephen Carpenter of Deftones opens up about his health issues

In a recently released rig overview video for Premier Guitar, guitarist Stephen Carpenter of Deftones has showcased his collection of guitars and shared the backstories of each one. In an interview conducted during the band’s August 30, 2025, performance in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the well-known alternative metal artist listed his favorite instruments and discussed his musical development. He also gave fans a close-up view of the collection of instruments and equipment he carries to every Deftones performance. Carpenter also discussed more private topics throughout the conversation, such as his health and the bands he has recently been enjoying, as reported from theprp.

I love Bilmuri. Bilmuri is amazing. All bangers, as stated. I’ma tell ya, the latest record [‘AMERICAN MOTOR SPORTS‘], I never turned it off for maybe two or three months. I’ve been going through some health struggles over the past couple years — basically I’m type 2 diabetic, that’s what I’m dealing with — and you know, I’m 55, I’m getting old right? So there was a time when that record came out and I listened to it so much, that the songs were just so, so catchy. Like, I’d wake up in the middle of the night and go use the bathroom or whatever, but I couldn’t get to sleep because the song would keep going. I’d have to put something on that made me hear something else in my head. I stopped listening to it for awhile, because it was too much. But now I can listen to it without it disrupting my sleep.

Carpenter brought up his health concerns again later in the session while talking about his work on Deftones‘ most recent full-length album, “private music.” Carpenter claims that his initial record shows a somewhat reduced level of involvement due to his difficulties in managing the aforementioned sickness. Chino Moreno, the guitarist and singer, then took over and played a significant number of guitar parts.

On this record, Chino really came and showed up with the riffs. There’s aa lot of riffs on this record that are ones that he came up with. Good on him, man. I’m stoked and proud, and he inspires me right now. Because, again, like I said, I’ve been going through these health things now, for the last couple years. I’ve been diabetic, probably longer than I than I knew, and deteriorating because of it. And it was only this year that I finally accepted it and have engaged in actively handling it, because otherwise I’m going to die from it. I don’t want to die from it. And I got compassion for every person out there that that is experiencing this kind of stuff, and I will speak for those people. Our food supply is toxic. I mean, we are all just sugar-poisoned. And if you’re a person of color, you’re at an elevated risk for diabetes. But every one of us is getting affected by the substance in just different ways. Whatever your DNA is, your problems are still sourced to the same problems as mine. It’s just this is what’s got me. And going through this record, like I said, back to [what] you asked me, what did I contribute? You know, I struggled going through this record. I’m very grateful that when it was time for me to track my guitars, that I was physically able to do it, because up until that point in time, there were songs I hadn’t even engaged in yet. Like the song, ‘I think about you every day‘, right? I didn’t even play one thing on that song, literally, until it was time for me to record. I literally wrote, and I say, wrote, I recorded my part, literally, in the moment of recording that song. Effects, everything. It all happened when it was time. Otherwise I didn’t have anything.

But still, he enjoyed working on “private music”.

Everybody was pumped. I was having a good time. I was engaged as I could be. But like I said, I’ve been going… I still have my [health] struggles, but I was going through a lot then. And last year was when I hit the bottom — or the bottom as I wanted to hit it. And so I’ve been getting my medical help, and seeking information, just dealing… just being accountable for my own personal situation. Otherwise, I’ve just been like everyone else out there, ignoring it, acting like it’s nothing, self-medicating and failing.