Metallica's album commonly called The Black Album is officially titled Metallica.
The title is self-titled: the band used its own name rather than a descriptive phrase. Fans and media adopted “The Black Album” because of its nearly black cover, which features a subtle snake and the band’s logo. That nickname distinguishes the record from Metallica’s other releases and became so widespread that it is often treated as an alternate title.
Metallica is the band’s fifth studio album, following ...And Justice for All. Its simplified title matched a broader musical shift: the songs generally used more direct structures, slower tempos, and a heavier, more polished production style than the band’s earlier thrash-metal records.
A common mix-up is calling the official title The Black Album. That phrase is a nickname, not the title printed as the album’s formal name.