Metallica released Metallica, commonly called The Black Album, in 1991. Elektra Records issued the album on August 12, 1991, making it the band’s fifth studio album.
The record marked a major shift from the faster, more complex thrash-metal sound of Metallica’s first four albums toward a slower, heavier, and more polished style. Its streamlined songwriting helped introduce the band to a much wider international audience.
The album is often called The Black Album because of its nearly all-black cover, although its official title is simply Metallica. It became the band’s best-selling studio album and produced major singles including “Enter Sandman,” “The Unforgiven,” “Nothing Else Matters,” “Wherever I May Roam,” and “Sad but True.”