What does the snake on Metallica’s The Black Album cover derive from?

The snake on Metallica’s The Black Album cover derives from the Gadsden flag.

The cover places a subtle, coiled snake in the lower-right corner beside the band’s nearly hidden logo. The snake references the historic American flag associated with the motto “Don’t Tread on Me,” which is also the title of a song on the album.

For the original release, both the logo and snake were embossed in black so they were difficult to see against the dark background. Later editions used dark gray elements with greater contrast, making the design easier to recognize.

The artwork is sometimes mistaken for a generic black-metal image or for a direct reproduction of a national flag. It is more specifically a minimalist adaptation of the Gadsden flag’s snake emblem, integrated into the album’s restrained visual identity.