Don Brautigam illustrated the cover of Metallica's 1991 album, commonly known as The Black Album.
The cover is intentionally restrained: it is almost entirely black, with the band's logo and a subtle coiled snake visible against the dark background. The minimal design helped inspire the album's enduring nickname, even though the official title is Metallica.
The cover concept was credited to Metallica and manager Peter Mensch, while Brautigam created the cover illustration. Photographer Ross Halfin supplied the band's inner-sleeve photographs, so the illustrator, concept contributors, and photographer had different roles.
The snake relates to the album's “Don't Tread on Me,” whose title echoes the American Gadsden flag motto. Because the artwork is so sparse, readers sometimes attribute the entire cover to a single designer, but the published credits distinguish the concept and illustration.