Metallica's 1991 album cover features a coiled snake derived from which flag?

Metallica's 1991 album cover features a coiled snake derived from the Gadsden flag.

The cover places Metallica's angled logo in the upper-left corner and the snake in the lower-right. Both emblems were embossed and nearly black on the original release, producing the stark design that inspired the nickname The Black Album.

The Gadsden flag is historically associated with a coiled rattlesnake and the motto “Don't Tread on Me.” That motto also appears as the title of a song on Metallica, creating a direct visual and thematic connection between the packaging and the track list.

The cover is not simply a generic black design. The band also joked about its resemblance to the fictional album Smell the Glove from This Is Spinal Tap. Status Quo's black Hello! album was cited as another inspiration during discussions of the artwork.