Deftones have returned to producer Terry Date for sonic assistance with their upcoming album.

The veteran recording engineer helmed all of the band's early efforts, from Deftones' 1995 debut Adrenaline to their 2003 self-titled collection. That includes the linchpin releases Around the Fur (1997) and White Pony (2000). Deftones' ninth studio effort, and first since 2016's Gore, will arrive later this year.

That's according to frontman Chino Moreno, who previously said the album would "definitely be out" in 2020. This week, drummer Abe Cunningham confirmed that estimate to Mixdown. Around the same time, the producer behind the group's recent sessions was revealed in a photo from keyboardist Frank Delgado.

See the image down toward the bottom of this post.

In the photo — shared by the musician on Monday (Feb. 24) — Date is seen at the board alongside Moreno. Delgado snapped the pic in May of last year, according to the accompanying caption. The picture's setting is Los Angeles' famed Henson Recording Studios (formerly A&M Studios).

While Date is well known for his work with Deftones, the producer hasn't chiefly overseen the band's albums in years. Bob Ezrin and Shaun Lopez produced 2006's Saturday Night Wrist with the group. 2006's Diamond Eyes and 2012's Koi No Yokan counted Nick Raskulinecz as a producer, and Matt Hyde co-produced Gore.

But Date has also twisted the knobs on music from Slipknot, Pantera, Soundgarden, Limp Bizkit and many other rock and metal acts.

Speaking with Mixdown, Cunningham recently talked about the four-year gap between Gore and Deftones' upcoming album. He indicated that the relaxed timeframe gave the band a better rapport while writing and recording.

"We did things a little bit differently this time," the drummer explained. "We stretched everything out over the course of a couple of years, rather than blasting through in one go. The process has been mixed with about a year-long break, that we all agreed upon."

He added, "Being rested and taking that time off really made us appreciate what we're doing even more. When we're all laughing and smiling and coming up with stuff together, just like when we were 17…it's a beautiful thing."

Deftones hit the road this summer with help from Gojira and Poppy.

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