DEFTONES’ Abe Cunningham Talks White Animals, Reptiles, And Album Art Symbolism

In a recent interview with Moshpit Passion, Deftones drummer Abe Cunningham discussed the band’s long-running motif of featuring animals—and now reptiles—on their album covers.

The topic came up regarding the albino snake on the cover of the band’s upcoming tenth studio album, private music. Cunningham was asked if the snake connected to the track “Ecdysis”, a song referencing the process of reptiles shedding their skin. He shared:

“[It] could be a lot of things, but that’s the definition of [the word ecdysis]. Of course there’s a snake on the cover. I imagine it ties in somehow. But it’s more of a… the image itself was very striking, just the way it juxtaposes with the solid background and the green, in the instance of the main record. And then just the snake—like the owl on Diamond Eyes, the flamingos again on Gore—it’s just they were real striking images on their own. [They] didn’t have to mean or connect in any way. I think this may have a bit more connection, obviously with Ecdysis. [The snake] was one of the first images that we saw when we were getting the artwork together and we’re like, ‘That’s it, stop. That’s the one.’”

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Cunningham also touched on the recurring theme of white in the band’s album covers—White Pony, the white owl on Diamond Eyes, and now the white snake on private music:

“[It was] probably an accident. Maybe just the way, like again, it was striking. It was a clean image juxtaposed with whatever was in the background. I don’t think there’s too much more than that. Maybe there is?”

Cunningham also hinted at something special planned around the release of private music, though details remain scarce.

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Deftones 2025–2026 Tour Dates

With Phantogram & The Barbarians Of California:
08/22 Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
08/24 Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place
08/25 Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
08/27 Winnipeg, MB – Canada Life Centre
08/29 Minneapolis, MN – Target Center
08/30 Milwaukee, WI – Fiserv Forum
09/01 Buffalo, NY – Key Bank Center
09/07 Quebec City, QC – Centre Videotron

With IDLES & The Barbarians Of California:
09/08 Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
09/10 Cleveland, OH – Rocket Arena
09/11 Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena
09/13 St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center
09/15 Denver, CO – Ball Arena
09/17 Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center

With System Of A Down, Polyphia & Wisp:
09/03 Toronto, ON – Rogers Stadium
09/05 Toronto, ON – Rogers Stadium

Deftones Headline Dates:
09/19 Atlanta, GA – Shaky Knees
09/20 Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life
10/03 Sacramento, CA – Aftershock
11/16 Mexico City, MEX – Corona Capital

With Denzel Curry & Drug Church:
01/29 Paris, FRA – Adidas Arena
01/30 Brussels, BEL – Forest National
02/01 Hamburg, GER – Barclays Arena
02/03 Munich, GER – Zenith
02/05 Lodz, POL – Atlas Arena
02/06 Berlin, GER – Max-Schmeling-Halle
02/07 Dortmund, GER – Westfalenhalle
02/09 Stuttgart, GER – Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle
02/10 Amsterdam, NET – AFAS Live
02/12 Birmingham, UK – BP Pulse Live
02/13 Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
02/14 Manchester, UK – Co-Op Live
02/16 Dublin, IRE – 3Arena
02/18 Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena
02/20 London, UK – The O2

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