What is the common nickname for Metallica's 1991 self-titled album?

Metallica’s 1991 self-titled album is commonly nicknamed The Black Album.

The nickname comes from the record’s nearly black cover, which features a subtle band logo and a coiled snake associated with the Gadsden flag. Because the official title is simply Metallica, listeners adopted The Black Album to distinguish it from the band itself and from its other records.

Released on August 12, 1991, the album was Metallica’s fifth studio album. Producer Bob Rock helped shape a sound that was slower, heavier, and more streamlined than the complex thrash metal heard on the band’s first four albums. That change expanded Metallica’s audience dramatically.

The album includes “Enter Sandman,” “The Unforgiven,” “Nothing Else Matters,” “Wherever I May Roam,” and “Sad but True.” It became the band’s best-selling release, topped the Billboard 200 for four consecutive weeks, and eventually sold tens of millions of copies worldwide.

The Black Album is not the official title, and it should not be confused with other albums informally known by color-based nicknames. Its formal title remains Metallica; the nickname refers to its distinctive packaging and dark visual design.