The coiled snake on Metallica’s The Black Album cover comes from which flag?

The coiled snake on Metallica’s The Black Album cover comes from the Gadsden flag.

The Gadsden flag is historically associated with a coiled rattlesnake and the motto “Don’t Tread on Me.” Metallica adapted the snake image for the album’s lower-right corner, while the band’s logo appears diagonally in the upper-left.

The connection is also reflected in the track “Don’t Tread on Me,” whose title repeats the flag’s famous motto. The song is not a commercial single, although it received promotional rock-radio exposure after the album’s release.

On the initial album packaging, both the logo and snake were embossed into the black surface and were difficult to see. Later editions used dark gray versions that stand out more clearly. The understated design helped create the nickname The Black Album, even though the official title is simply Metallica.