What animal appears faintly on the cover of Metallica’s The Black Album?

A rattlesnake appears faintly on the cover of Metallica’s The Black Album.

The cover is deliberately restrained: a black field carries the band’s logo and a barely visible snake image. The rattlesnake connects visually with “Don’t Tread on Me,” one of the album’s songs, and echoes the Gadsden flag imagery associated with the phrase “Don’t Tread on Me.”

Because the image is extremely dark and understated, some viewers identify it only after looking closely or increasing the contrast. That subtlety is part of the cover’s design rather than evidence of a different animal.

The album’s official title remains Metallica. The popular nickname The Black Album describes the packaging’s appearance, while the snake provides one of its few visible graphic details. Stephen Gorman created the cover design, and the overall presentation contrasted sharply with the busier artwork found on several earlier Metallica releases.