Metallica, commonly called The Black Album, was Metallica’s fifth studio album.
It followed Kill ’Em All, Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets, and ...And Justice for All. The numbering is based on the band’s full-length studio albums, not on every recording it had released. For example, the Garage Days EP is not counted as a studio album in this sequence.
The fifth-album position is significant because the record marked a major stylistic shift. Compared with the band’s earlier thrash-metal work, the songs generally used slower tempos, broader arrangements, and a more polished production style. That change helped the album reach a much larger audience.
The title Metallica is self-titled, but fans commonly use The Black Album to distinguish it from the band’s name. It is not Metallica’s first album, despite the self-titled wording; it is the fifth studio release in the group’s main album chronology.