Want to create an interactive transcript for this episode?
Podcast: What the Riff Next Gen
Episode: 1991 - August: Metallica âMetallica (the Black Album)â
Description: Metallica was a big deal well before the release of this album.  Singer and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich had formed the band a decade prior to this fifth studio release, technically called Metallica but most commonly referenced as The Black Album due to its all-black cover.  Hetfield and Ulrich, together with lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Jason Newsted were successful commercially and critically on the strength of previous albums, particularly their third (Master of Puppets) and fourth (...And Justice for All) studio releases.  However The Black Album would be their most successful album release, and the...