Between which dates was Metallica, commonly called The Black Album, recorded?

Metallica, commonly called The Black Album, was recorded between October 6, 1990, and June 16, 1991.

The sessions lasted roughly eight months and were centered at One on One Recording Studios in Los Angeles. Metallica also worked for about a week at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver, while later overdubs and mixing took place at A&M Studios in Hollywood.

The start date is earlier than the album’s release and earlier than the July 29, 1991 release of “Enter Sandman.” The June 16 end date is also not the release date; the finished album appeared nearly two months later, on August 12, 1991.

During the sessions, the band worked with producer Bob Rock and pursued a more live, unified recording approach. The process was demanding, but it produced the polished sound associated with the album. The exact session dates provide a precise timeline for the record’s creation rather than its later promotion or release.