Metallica, commonly called The Black Album, was Metallica's fifth studio album.
The album followed Kill 'Em All, Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets, and ...And Justice for All. Its official title is simply Metallica, an eponymous title chosen after the band considered several alternatives.
The nickname The Black Album comes from its mostly black cover, which features the band's logo and a coiled snake derived from the Gadsden flag. The restrained design contrasted with the elaborate artwork of several earlier Metallica releases.
The record represented a major shift from the band's earlier thrash-metal approach toward slower, heavier, and more accessible songs. It became Metallica's breakthrough commercial success and introduced the band to a much larger international audience. It is sometimes mistakenly described as the band's sixth album because the 1991 release was their fifth studio record but followed four earlier studio albums and numerous tours, singles, and compilations.