Packaging
Lars Ulrich said the band had much discussion on the album title, considering the titles "Five" or naming after one of the songs, but eventually opted for a self-titled work because they "wanted to keep it simple." The album cover features the band's logo, angled against the upper left corner, and a coiled snake (derived from the Gadsden flag) on the bottom right corner, both in a dark shade of gray in order to be made out against the black background, giving Metallica the nickname "The Black Album" (these aspects are also seen in the back cover of the album). The motto of the Gadsden flag, "Don't Tread on Me", is also the title of a song on the album. A folded, page-less booklet contains the faces of all Metallica band members exposed at a black background, as well as the lyrics and liner notes printed againist a grey background. The cover is reminiscent of Spinal Tap's album Smell the Glove, something the band jokingly acknowledged themselves in their A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica documentary. Members of Spinal Tap appeared on the film and asked them about it.
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