Where was most of Metallica's The Black Album recorded?

Most of Metallica's The Black Album was recorded at One on One Recording Studios in Los Angeles. The main sessions began there in October 1990 and continued through the album's demanding production period.

The band also spent about a week at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, and later completed additional overdubs and mixing at A&M Studios in Hollywood. Those locations are part of the album's broader recording history, but One on One was the principal studio.

The sessions lasted roughly eight months and involved producer Bob Rock, engineer Randy Staub, and assistant engineer Mike Tacci. Rock encouraged the members to perform more collaboratively, while the band repeatedly refined takes and arrangements.

One on One is sometimes confused with the Vancouver studio because Metallica had worked there before. The Black Album's main studio credit, however, points to the Los Angeles facility. The album was released by Elektra Records on August 12, 1991.