What is the opening track on Metallica's Metallica, known as The Black Album?
Answer
Enter Sandman
"Enter Sandman" is the opening track on Metallica's Metallica, known as The Black Album.
The song begins with a clean, repeating guitar figure before the full band enters, making it one of the album's most recognizable openings. Its central subject is childhood nightmares, with bedtime imagery turned into something unsettling and dramatic.
Kirk Hammett developed the initial guitar riff after hearing Soundgarden's music, while James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich helped shape the composition. Hetfield wrote the lyrics, which include references to frightening dreams and a child's bedtime prayer.
The track became the album's lead single and one of Metallica's signature songs. It reached number 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and helped introduce the band to a much wider audience. A music video directed by Wayne Isham reinforced the song's dreamlike and nightmarish imagery.