Which album did Metallica's 1991 record, commonly called The Black Album, follow in the band's studio-album chronology?

Metallica's 1991 record, commonly called The Black Album, followed ...And Justice for All in the band's studio-album chronology.

...And Justice for All was released in 1988 and was Metallica's fourth studio album. Metallica then arrived in 1991 as the band's fifth studio record, marking a major change in songwriting, production, and commercial reach.

Listeners often compare the two albums because the later record deliberately moved away from the long, intricate arrangements associated with ...And Justice for All. Metallica used more compact structures, slower and heavier grooves, and a more prominent bass presence in the mix.

The next release after Metallica was not another studio album: it was the 1993 live box set Live Shit: Binge & Purge. Load, released in 1996, was the band's sixth studio album. Those chronology details help separate the immediate predecessor from later entries in the catalog.