How long is Metallica’s original 1991 album, known as The Black Album?

Metallica’s original 1991 album, known as The Black Album, runs for 62 minutes and 40 seconds.

That duration applies to the standard studio album, whose twelve tracks range from the short, aggressive “Holier Than Thou” to the much longer “Nothing Else Matters.” The running time reflects the album’s substantial scale while still fitting comfortably on a single compact disc.

The record was recorded primarily at One on One Recording Studios in Los Angeles, with the band working through an extended production process. Its finished sound combined dense guitars, prominent drums, and carefully controlled dynamics, making the album feel larger and more polished than Metallica’s earlier releases.

Modern reissues can create confusion because deluxe editions and anniversary box sets contain demos, live recordings, and alternate mixes. Those expanded packages run much longer than the original album. The 62:40 figure refers to the canonical 1991 studio sequence rather than later bonus material.