A snake appears in the lower-right corner of the cover of Metallica's 1991 self-titled album, commonly called The Black Album.
The cover is deliberately restrained: it uses an almost entirely black background, the band's logo in dark lettering, and a subtle gray snake that can be difficult to see at first glance. The minimal design gave the album its widely used nickname, The Black Album.
The snake is associated with the song “Don't Tread on Me,” whose title refers to the Gadsden flag and its coiled-snake imagery. The cover therefore connects the visual design with one of the album's songs without displaying a large, colorful illustration.
The album's photography and artwork were created during the band's early-1990s campaign, when Metallica was moving toward a cleaner and more monumental presentation. The understated packaging contrasted with the elaborate imagery on several earlier Metallica releases.