Metallica's self-titled 1991 release was the band's fifth studio album.
It followed Kill 'Em All, Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets, and ...And Justice for All. The record therefore occupies a pivotal place in Metallica's original studio-album sequence: it was the first album after the band's celebrated early thrash-metal period and the release that brought the group to a much larger international audience.
The album's official title is Metallica, matching the band's name. Fans commonly call it The Black Album because of its minimalist dark cover, which features a subdued band logo and a coiled snake. That nickname can make it seem like a separate titled project, but it is still the band's fifth studio album.
The following studio album was Load, released in 1996. Metallica also released live albums, soundtrack material, and other projects, so the word “studio” matters when counting the main sequence.