Over what period was Metallica's 1991 album recorded, from the first session to the final session?

Metallica's 1991 album was recorded from October 6, 1990, to June 16, 1991.

That span covers more than eight months of work before the album's August 12, 1991 release. The sessions took place primarily at One on One Recording Studios in Los Angeles and were produced by Bob Rock, who was working with the band for the first time on a studio album.

The recording period was demanding and included disagreements over performance methods, arrangements, and production. Rock encouraged the members to work together in the studio rather than recording their parts in isolation, contributing to the album's more unified sound.

The dates are easy to confuse with the release dates of the singles. “Enter Sandman” came out on July 29, 1991, while “Nothing Else Matters” was released as a single in 1992.