On which date did recording begin for Metallica’s 1991 album, The Black Album?

Recording began on October 6, 1990, for Metallica’s 1991 album, The Black Album.

The album’s sessions continued through June 16, 1991, making the project an extended production effort rather than a quick studio visit. Most recording took place at One on One Recording Studios in Los Angeles, with additional work at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver and A&M Studios in Hollywood.

Before the main sessions began, Metallica recorded four demos on August 13, 1990: “Enter Sandman,” “The Unforgiven,” “Nothing Else Matters,” and “Wherever I May Roam.” That earlier demo date is a frequent source of confusion, but it is not the start date for the album’s principal recording sessions.

Producer Bob Rock introduced a more collaborative method, encouraging the musicians to record together and pursue a live feel. The band’s perfectionism led to many takes, extensive overdubbing, and repeated mixing. The finished album was released on August 12, 1991, less than two months after the sessions ended.