The coiled snake on Metallica's 1991 self-titled album, commonly called The Black Album, is derived from the Gadsden flag.
The original cover places the snake in the lower-right area, opposite the angled Metallica logo. Both emblems were embossed so subtly against the black background that they were difficult to see on the initial release. This restrained design helped inspire the album's famous nickname.
The Gadsden flag traditionally features a coiled rattlesnake and the motto “Don't Tread on Me.” Metallica used the snake image without reproducing the full flag design. The phrase also appears as the title of the album's sixth track, creating a direct link between the packaging and the music.
The cover's minimalism has led to other comparisons. The band jokingly acknowledged similarities to Spinal Tap's fictional album Smell the Glove in the documentary A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica. Lars Ulrich also cited Status Quo's black Hello! cover as an inspiration.