A rattlesnake appears in the artwork for Metallica's 1991 album Metallica, commonly called The Black Album. The subtle gray snake is placed against the album's nearly black cover.
The artwork was designed by Metallica and Peter Mensch, with photography and design elements contributing to the stark presentation. The band's logo appears in black near the upper left, while the snake is deliberately difficult to notice at first glance. This restrained design helped inspire the album's enduring nickname.
The snake image connects with the band's broader visual identity and with the phrase “Don't Tread on Me,” a song on the record that references the Gadsden flag and its coiled snake emblem. The cover does not show a brightly colored serpent or a dramatic illustrated scene; its low-contrast rattlesnake is part of the album's minimalist visual concept.