A hefty gift for 30th of ‘Black Album’
Metallica plans to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its 1991 selftitled fifth album, known as “The Black Album,” by releasing a special box set that includes a remastered version of the Bay Area band’s first No. 1 charting release in multiple formats, a selection of live recordings and DVDs, hardcover book, lyric sheets and various other ephemera from the blockbuster era.
The new offerings are expected to be released through the band’s Blackened Recordings label on Sept. 10, along with a 53track tribute set titled “The Metallica Blacklist” that features covers of songs from “The Black Album” by a wideranging group of artists including indie rockers St. Vincent, Phoebe Bridgers and Mac DeMarco, jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington, reggaeton singer J. Balvin, and many others.
The first single from the compilation will be a cover of “Nothing Else Matters” by Miley Cyrus, featuring Elton John, famed cellist YoYo Ma, Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith.
All profits from the sale of “The Metallica Blacklist” will be split evenly between the band’s All Within My Hands Foundation and individual charities chosen by the artists who play on the album, Metallica announced Tuesday, June 22.
Meanwhile, the deluxe box set of the original “Black Album” will include offerings such as a picture disc, live recordings from Oakland, Sacramento and London; demos, outtakes and rough mixes; as well as two discs of band interviews.
“The Black Album” stands as Metallica’s most popular release, having sold more than 16 million copies in the United States alone. With the singles “Enter Sandman,” “The Unforgiven,” “Nothing Else Matters,” “Wherever I May Roam” and “Sad But True,” it spent 363 weeks on the Billboard album chart — including four weeks in the No. 1 spot.