Which track opens Metallica's 1991 album, The Black Album?

Enter Sandman opens Metallica's 1991 album, The Black Album.

The track begins with a clean, repeating guitar figure before expanding into one of the band's best-known heavy riffs. Its placement immediately established the album's more direct and spacious production style, which differed from the densely arranged sound of Metallica's earlier records.

The song's lyrics draw on childhood nightmares and bedtime imagery. Early ideas focused on crib death, but the concept was broadened into a more general depiction of frightening dreams and nighttime fears. That theme helped give the song a striking contrast between familiar childhood language and heavy instrumentation.

Holier Than Thou had originally been considered for the album's opening position and first single. The final decision to start with Enter Sandman proved commercially important: it became the lead single, reached major international charts, and helped make The Black Album a worldwide breakthrough.