A snake is outlined on the cover of Metallica's 1991 album Metallica.
The cover uses an almost entirely black field with the band's logo in the upper-left and a subtle grey outline of a coiled snake in the lower-right. The restrained design helped inspire the album's widespread nickname, The Black Album, although that nickname is not the record's official title.
The snake also connects the artwork to “Don't Tread on Me,” a song whose lyrics and title draw on the imagery of the Gadsden flag. The album's understated presentation contrasts with the more elaborate artwork associated with earlier Metallica releases such as Master of Puppets and ...And Justice for All.
The cover was designed by Turner Duckworth, with photography associated with Ross Halfin. Because the animal is deliberately faint against the dark background, some viewers mistake it for a dragon or another creature. It is a snake, presented as a subtle graphic rather than a detailed illustration.