Metallica's 1991 self-titled album was the band's fifth studio album.
It followed ...And Justice for All, released in 1988, and preceded Load, released in 1996. The album's official title is simply Metallica, but fans widely use The Black Album because of its stark black artwork.
The record represented a major shift from the complex, thrash-oriented approach of Metallica's first four studio albums. Its songs generally used more compact structures, slower tempos, stronger grooves, and a polished production style.
The lineup remained James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Jason Newsted. Newsted had joined Metallica after the death of Cliff Burton and played bass on both ...And Justice for All and Metallica. The fifth-album milestone is therefore about the band's studio releases, not every recording, live album, or extended play.