Which song supplied the title of Metallica’s 1991 album?

The story behind the answer

None of the songs supplied the title of Metallica’s 1991 album because the record is self-titled.

The official title is Metallica, matching the name of the band. Fans and the music industry commonly call it The Black Album because the original cover uses a nearly black design with a dark logo and a coiled snake.

The band considered other possibilities during development, including informal ideas connected with the number five and a joking phrase related to members’ divorces. Ultimately, the musicians chose an eponymous title because they wanted something simple and representative of the band as a whole.

This makes the album unusual within Metallica’s early catalog, where several releases were named after songs or recognizable phrases. The nickname is not an alternate official title printed as the album’s name; it is a descriptive label that distinguishes the record from the band’s broader discography.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

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