On what date was Metallica's 1991 album Metallica, also called The Black Album, released?

Metallica's 1991 album Metallica, widely known as The Black Album, was released on August 12, 1991.

The record was issued by Elektra Records and became the band's fifth studio album. Its simple official title, matching the band's name, led listeners to use “The Black Album” because of its nearly black cover and faint snake image.

The album followed ...And Justice for All, but its sound was more streamlined, spacious, and accessible than Metallica's earlier thrash-metal records. That shift helped it reach audiences far beyond the band's existing fan base.

The release date is sometimes confused with the date of the lead single, “Enter Sandman,” which arrived on July 29, 1991. The album itself followed two weeks later and quickly became Metallica's commercial breakthrough.