At which North Hollywood studio was Metallica’s Black Album recorded?

Metallica recorded the Black Album at One on One Studios in North Hollywood, California.

One on One was a large Los Angeles recording complex used by prominent rock and metal acts. Its rooms and equipment gave producer Bob Rock and the band space to build the album’s unusually expansive drum and guitar sound. The facility’s location also placed the sessions within Southern California’s long-established recording community.

The studio name can be mixed up with other famous Los Angeles facilities, including Sound City and The Village. Those studios hosted many notable records, but the Black Album sessions are specifically associated with One on One. Mixing and additional production work are also discussed separately in accounts of the album’s lengthy creation.

Metallica’s time at One on One followed the demanding production of ...And Justice for All. The new sessions prioritized punch, clarity, and accessible arrangements, helping the 1991 album sound both massive on speakers and effective on radio.