The Black Album is Metallica’s fifth studio album.
It followed ...And Justice for All, the band’s fourth studio album, released in 1988. Earlier records in the sequence were Kill ’Em All, Ride the Lightning, and Master of Puppets. The self-titled album therefore marked the group’s fifth major studio statement.
The record represented a notable change from the more intricate thrash-metal approach of the preceding albums. Its songs generally used simpler structures, slower tempos, heavier production, and more direct arrangements, helping Metallica reach a much larger international audience.
Listeners sometimes count live albums, extended plays, or compilation releases when discussing the band’s catalog, which can create confusion about the number. The “fifth” designation refers specifically to Metallica’s studio-album chronology, not to every release issued by the band.