Which Metallica member wrote all the lyrics for The Black Album?

James Hetfield wrote all the lyrics for Metallica's The Black Album.

The album's liner credits assign every lyric to Hetfield, while the music was primarily composed by Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, with contributions from Kirk Hammett and Jason Newsted on selected songs.

Hetfield's lyrics on this record were more personal and introspective than those on several earlier Metallica albums. They addressed nightmares, emotional distance, moral hypocrisy, religious trauma, mortality, and personal struggle rather than relying only on the band's earlier war and destruction themes.

The shift was encouraged partly by producer Bob Rock, who pushed Hetfield to develop stronger lyrics and more expressive vocals. Nothing Else Matters was especially unusual for Metallica because it was a vulnerable love song written while Hetfield was away from home on tour.