The Gadsden flag inspired the snake imagery associated with Metallica's 1991 album, commonly called The Black Album.
The connection is especially clear in “Don't Tread on Me,” a song from the album whose title uses the motto printed on the Gadsden flag. The flag traditionally shows a rattlesnake above the words “Don't Tread on Me,” and a subtle snake appears on the album cover beside Metallica's logo.
The Gadsden flag dates to the American Revolutionary era and is associated with Christopher Gadsden, the South Carolina politician and military leader whose name it bears. Its snake symbol was used in colonial American imagery before the flag became widely recognized in its modern yellow form.
Metallica's song also references revolutionary ideas, including Patrick Henry's famous “give me liberty or give me death!” quotation. The album's snake should not be confused with a generic metal logo or with the British band Black Sabbath's imagery; its specific connection on this record is the Gadsden flag and the song's title.