On what date did Metallica release its self-titled fifth studio album, The Black Album?

Metallica released its self-titled fifth studio album, commonly called The Black Album, on August 12, 1991.

The album followed ...And Justice for All, which had appeared in 1988. Its release marked a major commercial breakthrough for the band and introduced a more streamlined, slower, and heavier sound than much of its earlier thrash-metal material.

The date is sometimes confused with July 29, 1991, when “Enter Sandman” was released as the lead single. Another frequently mistaken date is September 10, 2021, the release date of the album’s 30th-anniversary remastered edition.

Metallica’s 1991 release became the band’s first album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200. It ultimately became the group’s best-selling album and one of the most commercially successful heavy-metal records ever made.