The snake on Metallica’s The Black Album cover references which historic flag?

The snake on Metallica’s The Black Album cover references the Gadsden flag.

The Gadsden flag is an historic American flag featuring a rattlesnake and the phrase “Don’t Tread on Me.” Metallica’s album artwork echoes that imagery through a faint gray snake set against an otherwise nearly black cover.

The connection is reinforced by the album’s track “Don’t Tread on Me,” whose title uses the same phrase associated with the flag. The visual link gives the minimalist cover a historical reference that is easy to miss at first glance.

The cover is also notable because the band logo and snake were initially embossed so subtly that they could barely be seen. That understated design helped produce the nickname The Black Album, even though the official album title is simply Metallica.