In September 2021, ‘Metallica’ re-entered the Billboard 200 chart at Number 9 for the first time in 29 years after its 30th-anniversary reissue. The last time ‘Metallica’ was in the top 10 before September 2021 was August 1992, after four weeks at Number 1.
‘The Black Album’ is one of the best-selling and most praised records ever. Released in 1991, it was Metallica’s first Number 1 album in 10 countries, including four weeks at Number 1 in the U.S. Its hit singles like ‘Enter Sandman’ and ‘Nothing Else Matters’ made the band a household name and stadium headliner.
The group’s ‘Black Album’ was also important in terms of James Hetfield’s relationship with being a frontman. In a new interview with Daniel Sarkissian, Metallica producer Flemming Rasmussen said that Hetfield was uncomfortable as the band’s frontman early on. He started feeling better about it after working on the ‘Black Album.’ He said:
“Probably on the ‘Black Album.’ He didn’t really like it either on ‘…And Justice for All.'”
The vocalist slowly grew more at ease. Rasmussen continued:
“He was getting more and more comfortable with it, I’m guessing. But he just wanted to get it done so he didn’t have to worry about it anymore. He was not too happy about it.”
Black Album’ also received praise from other artists in the music scene. Guns N’ Roses’ Slash said the following about the record in a 2021 chat with Spin:
“I think any Metallica album is a given for a hard rock/metal record collection. They are the pinnacle of that style of music, and they were among the first bands to revolutionize that particular style and sound. But the ‘Black Album’ crossed over in a way that made them a household name, and they achieved that while maintaining their sonic integrity, songwriting and attitude. They took their signature style and recorded an album that became universally accessible but still f*cking cool.”
The album marked its 30th anniversary in 2021 with ‘The Metallica Blacklist,’ a huge 53-track compilation. Many artists, like Alessia Cara, Royal Blood, Ghost, Miley Cyrus, and more, performed their versions of the songs.
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