The Black Album is the self-titled 5th studio album by the American heavy metal band Metallica, released in 1991. It features some of Metallica's most popular songs, "Enter Sandman", "The Unforgiven" ,"
Nothing Else Matters" , "Wherever I May Roam" and "Sad but True". It spent four consecutive weeks at number one on Billboard 200.
Metallica was released on August 12, 1991 through Elektra Records, and is the band's best-selling album to date, with over 15 million copies sold in the United States and over 22 million copies worldwide[citation needed]. It's also one of the best-selling heavy metal albums of all time.
The album cover features only the band's logo and a coiled snake (derived from the Gadsden flag). The motto of the Gadsden flag, "Don't Tread on Me", is also the title of a song featured on the album.
While the album and the band were critically praised and commercially successful, some fans expressed disappointment in the new direction taken by Metallica. Gone for the most part were faster staccato riffs during verses and throaty vocals found on the band's first four albums; the overall speed and complexity of the music was somewhat lessened. The Black Album presented a more radio-friendly, commercially accessible Metallica, especially evidenced by the ballad "
Nothing Else Matters". Moreover, following the success of "One," the breakaway single from their …And Justice for All album, five videos were released from The Black Album. ("Enter Sandman", "
Nothing Else Matters", "Sad but True", "Wherever I May Roam" and "The Unforgiven").
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