Which record label released Metallica’s The Black Album in North America?

Elektra Records released Metallica’s The Black Album in North America.

Elektra had become Metallica’s American label before the album’s release and handled the record in the United States and Canada. The label’s distribution network helped place the album in mainstream record stores and radio markets during a period when heavy metal was reaching a much larger audience.

The band’s earlier albums had been released through different arrangements. Kill ’Em All first appeared on Megaforce in the United States, while later albums used Elektra for North American distribution. By 1991, Metallica had the commercial infrastructure to support a worldwide major-label campaign.

International editions were not always issued by Elektra. Vertigo handled releases in several territories, which is why different physical copies may show different label names. The North American label is therefore a specific answer rather than a universal answer for every country.