On what date did Metallica release Metallica, widely known as The Black Album?

Metallica released Metallica, widely known as The Black Album, on August 12, 1991.

The record was issued by Elektra Records and became Metallica’s fifth studio album. Its stark black cover, featuring a faint band logo and coiled snake, led fans and the music press to call it The Black Album, although Metallica is its official title.

The release followed ...And Justice for All, which had arrived in 1988. The new album presented a more streamlined sound, with shorter, more direct songs and a heavier but less overtly thrash-oriented production style.

The August 1991 release began an exceptionally successful run. Metallica debuted at number one in ten countries, became the band’s first Billboard 200 number-one album, and ultimately sold more than 30 million copies worldwide.