Metallica released the album Load in 1996, specifically on June 4 in the United States. It was the band’s sixth studio album and marked a major shift in sound and presentation after the success of 1991’s Metallica, commonly called The Black Album.
The sessions took place primarily at The Plant in Sausalito, California, between May 1995 and April 1996, with additional recording in New York. The band recorded nearly 30 songs, originally considering a double album before dividing the material between Load and its 1997 follow-up, Reload.
Load moved away from Metallica’s early thrash-metal approach toward hard rock, blues rock, Southern rock, country rock, and alternative influences. That stylistic change, along with the band’s new image and short-haired look, divided fans. A common mix-up is treating Load and Reload as one release; they are separate albums issued one year apart.