What was the original working title for Metallica’s self-titled album, The Black Album?
Answer
Married to Metal
“Married to Metal” was the original working title for Metallica’s self-titled album, later known as The Black Album.
The temporary title referred to personal upheaval during the recording period. Lars Ulrich described it as a running joke connected with divorces involving members of the band, rather than as the final name the group seriously intended to put on the cover.
Other possibilities were discussed, including the number “Five” and the title of one of the songs. The band eventually chose the simple eponymous title Metallica. The nearly black packaging then led listeners to call it The Black Album, a nickname that became much more widely used than the official title.
The final cover reinforced that nickname through its minimal design. It features the band’s angled logo and a coiled snake derived from the Gadsden flag, both initially embossed so they were difficult to see against the black background.