A snake is shown in the barely visible artwork on Metallica's The Black Album cover.
The cover is almost entirely black, with the band's logo in the upper-left area and a coiled snake outlined in dark gray near the lower-right. The restrained design helped fans and journalists adopt the nickname The Black Album, even though the official title is simply Metallica.
The snake also connects the cover to the album's song “Don't Tread on Me.” That track references the Gadsden flag, whose imagery traditionally includes a rattlesnake and the words “Don't Tread on Me.” The cover's snake is therefore more than a random decorative detail.
The artwork was created by Stephen Gorman, based on a concept associated with the band. The near-black design is sometimes mistaken for a completely blank cover, but the snake and logo become visible when viewed closely or under suitable lighting.