What working title did Metallica consider for the album that became The Black Album?

“Married to Metal” was a working title considered for the album that became The Black Album.

The phrase emerged as a running joke connected with the personal circumstances of several band members. During the album’s creation, Kirk Hammett, Lars Ulrich, and Jason Newsted were going through divorces, making the title a darkly humorous reference to their lives around the recording sessions.

The band ultimately rejected the working title and chose the simple eponymous name Metallica. The decision fit the album’s deliberately stripped-down visual presentation and its direct musical identity.

The album became widely known as The Black Album because its cover used a nearly black background with a subtly embossed band logo and coiled snake. The nickname was not the official title, but it became the dominant way fans and media distinguished the record.