Metallica’s 1991 album Metallica, commonly called The Black Album, is the band’s fifth studio album.
It followed ...And Justice for All, released in 1988, and preceded Load, released in 1996. Unlike the group’s first four albums, Metallica was not named after one of its songs. Its plain black artwork inspired the nickname The Black Album.
The record represented a major shift in Metallica’s sound. Earlier releases were strongly associated with thrash metal, complex arrangements, and long songs, while the 1991 album emphasized slower tempos, heavier production, memorable hooks, and more concise structures. That change helped the band reach a much larger audience.
The album’s twelve tracks include “Enter Sandman,” “Sad but True,” “The Unforgiven,” “Wherever I May Roam,” and “Nothing Else Matters.” It became Metallica’s best-selling album and one of the most commercially successful heavy-metal records ever released.