A coiled snake appears as the cover image on Metallica's The Black Album. The snake is paired with the band's angled logo on the minimalist black cover.
The design was derived from the Gadsden flag, an American flag associated with a coiled rattlesnake and the motto “Don't Tread on Me.” That motto also supplies the title of one of the album's songs, creating a direct connection between the artwork and the track list.
On the initial release, the logo and snake were embossed and extremely dark, so they nearly disappeared into the black background. Later editions used dark gray elements that were easier to see. This subtle presentation is why the record became widely known as The Black Album.
The cover's simplicity was deliberate, but it has led to occasional comparisons with other mostly black rock-album covers. Metallica also joked about similarities to Spinal Tap's fictional album Smell the Glove in the documentary A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica.