Metallica recorded four early demos for the album commonly called The Black Album on August 13, 1990.
Those demos were for “Enter Sandman,” “The Unforgiven,” “Nothing Else Matters,” and “Wherever I May Roam.” They captured key ideas before the band entered the main recording period at One on One Recording Studios in October 1990.
The early demo date is important because it shows that several of the album's best-known songs existed in rough form before the full sessions began. “Enter Sandman” was the first song written for the album, although its lyrics were completed later. “Nothing Else Matters” also began as a private guitar idea from James Hetfield before becoming a full band recording.
The date is easy to confuse with the album's release date, August 12, 1991, or with the broader recording span, which ended in June 1991. August 13, 1990 specifically refers to the four early demos.