Which record label originally released Metallica's The Black Album?

Elektra Records originally released Metallica's The Black Album.

The album arrived through Elektra on August 12, 1991, continuing the label relationship that had begun with ...And Justice for All. Metallica had signed with Elektra in the mid-1980s after the label's executives saw the band perform.

Elektra's release helped place the album in the international mainstream, where it became Metallica's first record to top the Billboard 200. The album also debuted at number one in nine other countries, making its launch unusually broad for a heavy-metal record.

Later editions have appeared through other arrangements, including Blackened Recordings and Warner-related distribution. Those later credits do not change the original 1991 label, which remains Elektra Records.