What was the original working title for Metallica's 1991 album before it became self-titled?

The original working title for Metallica's 1991 album was “Married to Metal.”

The phrase emerged during discussions about the record's title and referred to divorces involving Kirk Hammett, Lars Ulrich, and Jason Newsted around the troubled recording period. According to the album's history, the band treated it as a running joke rather than a final title.

Other possibilities were considered, including “Five” and the title of one of the songs. The group ultimately chose the eponymous title Metallica because it wanted to keep the presentation simple.

The self-titled cover then created a second identity for the album. Its almost-black packaging and faint logo-and-snake artwork led listeners to call it The Black Album, even though that is only an informal nickname.