What symbol appears on the cover of Metallica's album known as The Black Album?

A coiled snake appears on the cover of Metallica's album known as The Black Album.

The snake is derived from the Gadsden flag, a historic American flag associated with the motto “Don't Tread on Me.” That same motto is represented on the album by the song “Don't Tread on Me.”

The cover also features the band's Metallica logo, angled near the upper-left corner. For the initial release, both the logo and snake were embossed against a black background, making them almost invisible at first glance.

Later and current editions use dark-gray emblems that stand out more clearly. The cover's minimal design helped create the nickname The Black Album, even though the official album title is simply Metallica.