On what date was Metallica’s self-titled album, commonly called The Black Album, released?

Metallica’s self-titled album, commonly called The Black Album, was released on August 12, 1991.

Elektra Records issued the fifth Metallica studio album after recording sessions that ran from October 1990 to June 1991. Its formal title is simply Metallica, but fans widely use The Black Album because of its mostly black cover and subtle snake design.

The release followed ...And Justice for All, which had arrived in 1988. The new record presented shorter, slower, and more polished songs than much of the band’s earlier thrash-metal material, helping Metallica reach a much wider audience.

The date is sometimes confused with the July 29, 1991 release of “Enter Sandman,” the album’s lead single. The album itself came later, on August 12. Its 35th anniversary falls in 2026, making the original release date especially relevant to anniversary coverage.