On what date was Metallica's self-titled album, known as The Black Album, released?

Metallica's self-titled album, 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 arrival followed ...And Justice for All, released in 1988, and marked a shift toward a slower, heavier, more streamlined sound.

The album's lead single, "Enter Sandman," had already been released on July 29, 1991. Despite that early single, the complete album came out in August. It quickly became Metallica's first album to debut at number one on the US Billboard 200.

The informal name The Black Album came from the nearly black cover, where the band's logo and a coiled snake were initially embossed so faintly that they were difficult to see. The official title remains Metallica, not The Black Album.