A snake appears as the subtle emblem on the cover of Metallica's 1991 album, commonly called The Black Album. The coiled snake is placed in the lower-right area of the mostly black artwork.
The snake is derived from the Gadsden flag, whose historic design features a coiled rattlesnake and the motto “Don't Tread on Me.” That motto also became the title of a song on the album.
On the original release, the band logo and snake were embossed so they were difficult to see against the black background. Later editions used dark gray versions that stand out more clearly.
The cover's minimal design led listeners and journalists to call the album The Black Album, although its official title is Metallica. The band also jokingly connected the artwork with Spinal Tap's fictional album Smell the Glove in the documentary A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica.