What animal is shown on the cover of Metallica's 1991 album, The Black Album?
Answer
A coiled snake
A coiled snake is shown on the cover of Metallica’s 1991 album, The Black Album.
The snake is derived from the Gadsden flag, an American flag design associated with the motto “Don’t Tread on Me.” That phrase also appears as the title of one of the album’s songs. On the original cover, the snake and the band’s logo were embossed so subtly against the black background that they were difficult to see.
The nearly black design explains why listeners commonly call the self-titled record The Black Album, although its official name is Metallica. The cover is not entirely blank: the dark emblems become visible when viewed closely, and both also appear on the back cover.
The design has sometimes been discussed alongside the fictional black album cover in the film This Is Spinal Tap. Metallica acknowledged the joke in its documentary A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica, while also referencing earlier black album artwork by Status Quo.