Which Metallica album directly preceded Metallica's 1991 album, commonly called The Black Album?
Answer
...And Justice for All
...And Justice for All directly preceded Metallica's 1991 album, commonly called The Black Album.
...And Justice for All was Metallica's fourth studio album, released in 1988. Metallica followed it as the band's fifth studio album, arriving after a three-year gap between full-length studio releases.
The two records show a marked change in approach. ...And Justice for All is known for complex, extended thrash-metal arrangements, while Metallica uses shorter structures, a slower and heavier feel, and more polished production. Bob Rock produced the later album after working with the band on its new recording method.
The albums are sometimes confused in chronology because both were central to Metallica's late-1980s and early-1990s rise. The key sequence is Master of Puppets in 1986, ...And Justice for All in 1988, then Metallica in 1991.