Metallica’s 1991 album Metallica, known as The Black Album, was the band’s fifth studio album.
It followed Kill ’Em All, Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets, and ...And Justice for All. Those four earlier releases established Metallica as a leading thrash-metal band, with increasingly complex arrangements and longer songs.
The fifth album represented a deliberate change in direction. Metallica and producer Bob Rock aimed for a slower, heavier, more refined sound, with simpler structures and stronger emphasis on groove, melody, and vocal impact. The change helped the band reach a far broader international audience.
The album’s self-titled status is sometimes obscured by its nickname. Metallica is the formal title, while The Black Album refers to the predominantly black packaging. Its success made it the band’s first album to top the Billboard 200 and remains its best-selling studio release.