Metallica's The Black Album ranks as the band's fifth studio album.
Its official title is Metallica, and it followed ...And Justice for All, released in 1988. Earlier studio albums were Kill 'Em All, Ride the Lightning, and Master of Puppets. The album's position in that sequence makes it the fifth full-length studio record by the band.
The nickname The Black Album comes from the cover's stark, mostly black design rather than from the official title. This naming difference can make the record seem separate from Metallica's discography, even though Metallica is the formal album title.
The fifth-album milestone also marked a major stylistic and commercial transition. Metallica retained its heavy guitar sound but used more concise arrangements, slower grooves, and a cleaner production approach. The result became the band's best-selling album and a gateway for many listeners into the wider metal catalog.