A coiled snake appears as an outline on the cover of Metallica, often called The Black Album.
The snake is derived from the Gadsden flag, an American historical flag associated with the motto “Don’t Tread on Me.” That same phrase is also the title of one of the album’s songs, creating a visual and thematic connection between the artwork and the music.
The cover also features the band’s logo in the upper-left corner. On the initial release, both the logo and snake were embossed so subtly that they were difficult to see against the black background. This restrained design helped create the nickname The Black Album.
The artwork has sometimes been compared with other famous black rock-album covers, including Spinal Tap’s fictional Smell the Glove. Metallica’s documentary A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica acknowledged that resemblance humorously.