Who was credited as producer of Metallica’s The Black Album?

Bob Rock was credited as producer of Metallica’s The Black Album.

Rock was a Canadian record producer and engineer known for his work with major rock acts. His involvement represented a change for Metallica, whose previous albums had been produced by figures including Paul Curcio, Flemming Rasmussen, and Mike Clink.

The recording process was demanding. Rock pushed the band to reconsider arrangements, performances, and the balance between heaviness and clarity. Metallica members initially found his approach challenging, but the resulting album had a more polished, spacious, and forceful production style than their earlier work.

The album’s production credits also list James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. That does not make them a replacement for Rock as the credited producer; rather, it reflects the band’s direct involvement in the production. Rock later continued working with Metallica on subsequent projects, including Load and Reload.