MetallicaMetallica

Genre:

Rock

Style:

Heavy Metal

Year:

Tracklist

Enter Sandman 5:29
Sad But True 5:24
Holier Than Thou 3:47
The Unforgiven 6:26
Wherever I May Roam 6:42
Don't Tread On Me 3:59
Through The Never 4:01
Nothing Else Matters 6:29
Of Wolf And Man 4:16
The God That Failed 5:05
My Friend Of Misery 6:47
The Struggle Within 3:51

Credits (10)

Notes

Released August 12, 1991

Guitar, Vocals: James Hetfield
Drums: Lars Ulrich
Guitar: Kirk Hammett
Bass: Jason Newsted

Metallica is the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band Elektra, commonly referred to as The Black Album because of its packaging.

The album marked a change in the band's music from the thrash metal style of their previous four albums to a slower, heavier, and more refined sound. This album made metal universal, but also created a gap between older and newest fans.

It became the band's best-selling album, certified 16× platinum by the RIAA in 2012, and has sold over 16,000,000 copies in the United States.

The snake in the artwork and the track "Don't Tread On Me" were inspired by the Gadsden flag, a historical American flag designed in 1775.

The cover is almost black; James Hetfield said "It was a simple black cover and you had to listen to the music.
You wouldn't be distracted by a drawing on the front."

Versions

Filter by
    558 versions
    Image , In Your Collection, Wantlist, or Inventory
    Version Details Data Quality
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, Vinyl Metallica
    2×LP, Album
    Vertigo – 510 022-1 Brazil 1991 Brazil1991
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Metallica, 1991-08-12, Vinyl Metallica
    2×LP, Album
    Elektra – 9 61113-1 US 1991 US1991
    Cover of Metallica, 1991-08-00, Vinyl Metallica
    2×LP, Album, First Press
    Vertigo – 510 022-1 Europe 1991 Europe1991
    Cover of Metallica, 1991-08-29, CD Metallica
    CD, Album, Stereo
    Sony – SRCS 5577 Japan 1991 Japan1991
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, CD Metallica
    CD, Album
    Elektra – CD 61113 Canada 1991 Canada1991
    Cover of Metallica, 1991-07-30, Cassette Metallica
    Cassette, Album, Dolby HX Pro
    Elektra – 61113-4 US 1991 US1991
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, Vinyl Metallica
    2×LP, Album
    PolyGram – RP 2266 South Korea 1991 South Korea1991
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, CD Metallica
    CD, Album, PDO, UK Pressing
    Vertigo – 510 022-2 Europe 1991 Europe1991
    New Submission
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, Cassette Metallica
    Cassette, Album, Unofficial Release
    Baron Music – BM-CD 700 Poland 1991 Poland1991
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, CD Metallica
    CD, Album
    Vertigo – CDEPR 1221 Mexico 1991 Mexico1991
    New Submission
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, Vinyl Metallica
    2×LP, Album, Gatefold
    Vertigo – 510 022-1 Colombia 1991 Colombia1991
    New Submission
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, CD Metallica
    CD, Album
    Vertigo – STARCD 5856 South Africa 1991 South Africa1991
    New Submission
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, Cassette Metallica
    Cassette, Album
    Vertigo – 510 022-4 Europe 1991 Europe1991
    New Submission
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, Cassette Metallica
    Cassette, Album
    MMC Records (2) – PK MMC 9125 Hungary 1991 Hungary1991
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, Vinyl Metallica
    2×LP, Album
    Vertigo – 510 022-1 Greece 1991 Greece1991
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Metallica, 1991-08-12, CD Metallica
    CD, Album
    Phonogram – 510 022-2 Australasia 1991 Australasia1991
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, CD Metallica
    CD, Album, PDO, UK Pressing
    Vertigo – 510 022-2 Europe 1991 Europe1991
    New Submission
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, CD Metallica
    CD, Album
    Popron – 50 148-2 Czechoslovakia 1991 Czechoslovakia1991
    New Submission
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, Vinyl Metallica
    2×LP, Album
    MMC Records (2) – PL MMC 9125 Hungary 1991 Hungary1991
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, Vinyl Metallica
    2×LP, Album
    Vertigo – 510 022-1 Spain 1991 Spain1991
    New Submission
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, CD Metallica
    CD, Album
    Sound-Pol – SPB CD 017 Poland 1991 Poland1991
    New Submission
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, Vinyl Metallica
    LP, Album
    Vertigo – 20.079 Venezuela 1991 Venezuela1991
    New Submission
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, Cassette Metallica
    Cassette, Album, Dolby HX Pro, B NR
    Elektra – 96 11134 Canada 1991 Canada1991
    New Submission
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, Vinyl Metallica
    2×LP, Album
    Vertigo – 510 022-1 Portugal 1991 Portugal1991
    Cover of Metallica, 1991-08-12, CD Metallica
    CD, Album, SRC/ARC
    Elektra – 61113-2 US 1991 US1991
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, Cassette Metallica
    Cassette, Album, Unofficial Release
    Music Studio (2) – 700 Poland 1991 Poland1991
    New Submission
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, Cassette Metallica
    Cassette, Album
    Elektra – 9 61113-4 Jamaica 1991 Jamaica1991
    New Submission
    Cover of Enter Sandman, 1991, Cassette Enter Sandman
    Cassette, Album, Unofficial Release
    MG Records (2) – MG 1329 Poland 1991 Poland1991
    New Submission
    Cover of Metallica, 1991-08-12, Cassette Metallica
    Cassette, Album
    Phonogram – 510 022-4 Australasia 1991 Australasia1991
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, Vinyl Metallica
    LP, Album
    Vertigo – 31026 Ecuador 1991 Ecuador1991
    New Submission
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, Cassette Metallica
    Cassette, Album
    Vertigo – 510 022-4 Indonesia 1991 Indonesia1991
    New Submission
    Cover of Metallica, 1991-08-13, CD Metallica
    CD, Album, PDO, Pressing
    Vertigo – 510 022-2 Europe 1991 Europe1991
    Recently Edited
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, Cassette Metallica
    Cassette, Album
    Vertigo – MCE 1221 Mexico 1991 Mexico1991
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, Cassette Metallica
    Cassette, Album
    Vertigo – 510 622-4 Turkey 1991 Turkey1991
    New Submission
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, Cassette Metallica
    Cassette, Album
    Vertigo – 510-022-4 Argentina 1991 Argentina1991
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, Cassette Metallica
    Cassette, Album
    Vertigo – 510 022-4 Uruguay 1991 Uruguay1991
    New Submission
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, Vinyl Metallica
    2×LP, Album, Sterling Pressing
    Vertigo – 510 022-1 Spain 1991 Spain1991
    New Submission
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, Vinyl Metallica
    2×LP, Album, Promo
    PolyGram – RP 2266 South Korea 1991 South Korea1991
    New Submission
    Cover of Metallica, 1991-08-00, CD Metallica
    CD, Album
    Vertigo – 510 022-2 Europe 1991 Europe1991
    Cover of Metallica, 1991, Cassette Metallica
    Cassette, Album, Unofficial Release
    Elbo – 0650 Poland 1991 Poland1991

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    Reviews

    • 0xA7X's avatar
      0xA7X
      Is anyone from Europe interested in trading their 1992 DFI reissue against a spare copy I have of the original 1991 PRS pressing (Sterling-mastered) ? Please message me if you do.
      • AlexSolos's avatar
        AlexSolos
        I bought this edition, it says made in the USA, but the barcode shows that the recording was made in Cuba. Is that how it should be? Who knows?
        • vinyltallica's avatar
          vinyltallica
          Sound like the same USA elektra 1991 or im wrong??
          Many thank s for Infos.
          • rockadelic's avatar
            rockadelic
            Hmm, I wonder if Levi at black belt mastering tweaked anything while remastering for vinyl as it was remastered digitally by Bob Ludwig?
            • CroccoKyle's avatar
              CroccoKyle
              Absolutely amazing pressing, The surface noise is pretty much inaudible no loud pops or anything. This album already has some of the best mixing of any metal album and it sings on this pressing, definitely one of the cleanest sounding records in my collection.

              The color is pretty cool too, it's almost a dark clear smoky color, that being said you can't really see that it's colored while it spins on a black mat
              • The_Music_Now's avatar
                The_Music_Now
                ▬▬▬▬ ADDITIONAL INFO ▬▬▬▬
                Mine version features a non-transparent mould with a silver, mirror-like appearance.

                Released in 1992—just months after 1991—it is certainly NOT from 1993 or later if I well!
                At the time, we considered this the first issue
                (WE didn't care for the CD releases, we were 1st pressing vinyl-oriented collectors).
                But, to put this into perspective, some releases follow each other within mere months—such as an August 1991 release succeeded by another in January 1992. Would the latter truly be considered a reissue?

                I was there in 1991-1992, a teenager, when this CD hit the shelves.
                I bought it from an official store in Greece (NEW & SEALED of course), and it remains a "treasured" piece in my collection.

                This isn't hearsay or speculation—this is my firsthand experience.

                Mine copy comes in a standard jewel case, without a record company logo embossed on it. (For reference, many major labels—Sony, Warner, and others—often engraved their logos onto jewel cases during that era.)

                All my CDs were purchased upon release in the early '90s and 2000s from official stores. No counterfeits or trade results—only genuine, original releases.

                Afterall, it is A MAGNIFICENT MUSICAL MASTERPIECE!
                • Mfurst's avatar
                  Mfurst
                  Edited 25 days ago
                  This is a truly special pressing if you can find it. I just happened upon it at an awesome record shop in Hilton Head and was intrigued by it being on the Vertigo label. Turns out this is a 10th anniversary repress but not remaster of the original EU release pressed at Optimal in German. So basically its likely from the same metalwork as the original but at a significantly lower price, though still not cheap. The first thing i notice is the bass. On Enter Sandman it's ridiculous. Vocals are clear and the guitars screaming an in your face like they should be. It's so much better than the Blackened reissue that I'll never listen to that one again. This should have a much higher rating. They're are a few 1 star ratings, which is ridiculous send to be bright down by a few 1 star ratings bringing it down from people with low ratings themselves who probably don't even have this version. It may not be as good as the 45 rpm version, so if you have that, maybe this is 4 stars in comparison. Some I'll probably never afford that, this is definitely a 5 star for me
                  • sasondiscogs's avatar
                    sasondiscogs
                    Edited one month ago
                    For Whom The Bellman Tolls! My copy has ZERO noise. This pressing sounds ace. Airy but still goes deep… and deeper when needed. Highs and lows are all in there. This generous Black Album cuts through firing A LOT of strength without asking for more volume.
                    Gear:
                    Hegel V10 phono preamp
                    Hegel H120
                    Hana SL cartridge
                    Rega P3
                    Harbeth M30.2 XD
                    • stika1103's avatar
                      stika1103
                      This pressing sounds amazing. One of the largest soundstages I’ve heard. The highs and lows are all great and the vinyl is quiet. The best I’ve heard this album sound, by far.
                      • CarbonMaiden's avatar
                        CarbonMaiden
                        Great press, sounds amazing no reason to skip this record.

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                        • Ratings:16954

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