A snake appears in the artwork of Metallica's self-titled album, commonly called The Black Album.
The original cover is almost entirely black, with the band's logo in the upper-left area and a coiled snake visible against the dark background. The restrained design helped inspire the record's widely used nickname, even though its official title is simply Metallica.
The snake also connects the cover to the song “Don't Tread on Me,” whose title and imagery refer to the historic Gadsden flag. That relationship is one reason the small reptile is more than a decorative detail. The cover was designed by Metallica and Peter Mensch, with photography by Ross Halfin associated with the package.
Because the image is intentionally low-contrast, some viewers mistake the animal for a dragon or another reptile. The artwork specifically depicts a snake. Anniversary editions preserve the original visual identity while adding expanded music and memorabilia.