Bob Ludwig remastered Metallica’s The Black Album for its 2021 30th-anniversary edition.
The remastered edition was released on September 10, 2021, marking three decades since the original album appeared in 1991. Ludwig handled the remastering at Gateway Mastering, while Greg Fidelman served as executive producer overseeing the project’s content.
The anniversary release was more than a simple new pressing. A limited-edition box set included the remastered album on 180-gram double vinyl and CD, along with live recordings, DVDs, unreleased material, and other memorabilia. A companion covers album, The Metallica Blacklist, was released on the same date.
Bob Ludwig is sometimes confused with Bob Rock, who produced the original album. Rock shaped the 1991 recording itself; Ludwig worked on the later remaster. Greg Fidelman’s executive-production role is another separate credit associated with the anniversary project.