The official title of Metallica’s fifth studio album, widely nicknamed The Black Album, is Metallica.
The band chose an eponymous title after considering several alternatives. “Married to Metal” was discussed as a working title, while “Five” was another possibility. The group ultimately favored a simple title using the band’s own name.
The nickname “The Black Album” developed from the initial packaging. The cover used a black background with a black Metallica logo and a faint coiled snake, both embossed so they were difficult to see. Later editions made the emblems more visible in dark gray.
The self-titled record is sometimes confused with other famous monochrome album nicknames, especially The Beatles’ 1968 double album commonly called the White Album. Unlike that Beatles release, Metallica’s official title is identical to the artist’s name.