What did Metallica's original Black Album cover show alongside the band's logo?
Answer
A coiled snake
Metallica's original Black Album cover showed a coiled snake alongside the band's logo.
The snake was derived from the Gadsden flag, an American historical flag associated with the motto “Don't Tread on Me.” That same motto appears as the title of one of the album's songs, linking the cover imagery to the record's tracklist.
The initial cover used a very dark presentation. Both the Metallica logo and snake were embossed so subtly against the black background that they were difficult to see, helping give the album its widely used nickname, The Black Album. Later editions made the emblems dark gray and more visible.
The design is sometimes described simply as a black cover, but the snake is an important identifiable element. The album's booklet and back cover continue the dark visual theme, while the booklet includes photographs of the band members and the printed lyrics and liner notes.