A coiled snake appears on the cover of Metallica’s 1991 self-titled album alongside the band logo.
The snake is derived from the Gadsden flag, an American historical flag traditionally associated with the motto “Don’t Tread on Me.” That same motto is also the title of one of the album’s songs, creating a visual and thematic connection between the packaging and the track list.
On the original release, the Metallica logo and snake were embossed against a nearly black background. Their low-contrast treatment made them difficult to see at first glance and helped give the album its widely used nickname, The Black Album.
Later editions made the emblems dark gray so that they stand out more clearly. The cover’s minimalist appearance became one of the most recognizable designs in popular music, even though the official album title remains simply Metallica.