What is Metallica's 1991 album Metallica commonly called because of its cover?

Metallica's 1991 album Metallica is commonly called The Black Album because of its predominantly black cover.

The official title is simply Metallica, making it an eponymous album. The cover places the band's logo in the upper-left corner and a coiled snake in the lower-right, both designed to blend into the dark background.

The snake and motto connect the artwork to the Gadsden flag, whose imagery influenced the album's visual design. On the original release, the emblems were embossed so subtly that they could be difficult to see against the black surface.

The nickname distinguishes the record from Metallica's other albums and became so widespread that it is now used internationally by fans, journalists, retailers, and the band itself. Later editions use darker gray artwork that makes the logo and snake more visible.