Metallica's The Black Album is the band's fifth studio album.
The sequence began with Kill 'Em All in 1983, followed by Ride the Lightning in 1984, Master of Puppets in 1986, and ...And Justice for All in 1988. Metallica followed that acclaimed run with its self-titled 1991 record.
The album's self-titled name can cause confusion because fans almost universally call it The Black Album. That nickname distinguishes it from the band itself, while official catalogs generally use Metallica as the album title.
Its position as the fifth studio album also matters historically. The record retained the band's heavy guitars and forceful rhythm section, but its songwriting and production favored broader dynamics and memorable hooks. That combination helped it become the band's best-selling studio album and one of the most commercially successful heavy-metal records ever released.