Every Metallica Album Released Since 1991, Ranked
Jeff Cornell is a veteran music and entertainment writer, who has contributed to Variety, Billboard, Loudwire, The Hollywood Reporter, and MTV.
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Metallica has released seven original studio albums since 1991, six of which debuted at number one on the Billboard Album chart. The California rockers crossed over to the masses with the 1991 self-titled classic, kicking off a string of hit records. Over the years, the quartet has won nine Grammy Awards, has two LPs in the Grammy Hall of Fame (Master of Puppets and The Black Album) and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009.
While the quartet created generationally influential metal in the 80s, they exploded in the 90s, becoming a household name and creating music that seamlessly fits in with today's classic rock radio programming. The band went through some trying times and musical growing pains in the 2000s, but have bounced back with authority over the years. Excluding the band's 2011 collaboration with Lou Reed, Lulu, and 1998's covers project Garage Inc., here is every studio album Metallica has released since 1991, ranked.
7 'St. Anger' (2003)
St. Anger is one of the most controversial metal releases of all time. Metallica's eighth album is a raw and unpolished effort that captures the band during a tumultuous time. Bassist Jason Newstead left the outfit in 2001, and they entered the studio with producer Bob Rock on bass. Frontman James Hetfield entered rehab for alcoholism right after the band began the sessions. When Hetfield returned to the band, he was only allowed to record four hours a day to focus on his recovery, which angered drummer Lars Ulrich. It is all chronicled in the 2004 documentary Metallica: Some Kind of Monster.
The album is a departure for the group with an abrasive texture, raw production and a divisive metallic drum sound. The music is heavy and groove-oriented with zero guitar solos. It's a brave effort, showing the band was not afraid to take risks, but it fails to stand up to the rest of Metallica's historic catalog. All that said, "St. Anger" won the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 2004 and the album has sold over six million copies around the world.
6 'Reload' (1997)
Reload consists of songs that were chiefly recorded during the prolific Load sessions. Following the tour behind Load, the outfit went back into the studio to finish the tracks. It's the last album to feature Jason Newstead on bass and continues the band's hard rock sound, focusing on slower grooves and straying from its thrash roots.
"Fuel" is the high-octane track inspired by James Hetfield's love of fast cars. "The Unforgiven II" is the sequel to hit off The Black Album and features many motifs and nods to the original track. "The Memory Remains" features British singer Marianne Faithfull on backing vocals, marking the first time the band collaborated with another vocalist. It peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Overall, Reload pales in comparison to Load. While it has some great tracks, it doesn't stand up to Metallica's more recent work.
5 'Death Magnetic' (2008)
Death Magnetic was produced by Rick Rubin and is the first Metallica album since ...And Justice For All that was not helmed by Bob Rock. The LP is a return to form comprised of longer, more progressive songs with fast thrash riffs, guitar harmonies and long instrumental sections. It was a welcome change following the group's polarizing 2004 effort St. Anger and is the first Metallica recording to feature bassist Robert Trujillo.
Highlights include "That Was Just Your Life," "The End of the Line," "Broken, Beaten, and Scarred," "The Day That Never Comes," "Cyanide," which topped the mainstream rock charts and the Grammy-winning track "My Apocalypse." "The Unforgiven III" puts a cap on the trilogy of songs introduced on The Black Album and is a departure on the heavy effort featuring keyboards and strings and some motifs used on the 1991 track "The Unforgiven." The nearly 10-minute instrumental "Suicide & Redemption" features many tempo changes with complex drumming from Lars Ulrich and furious guitar work. Death Magnetic is a full-blown thrash record that is more similar to ...And Justice For All and Master of Puppets than any effort they released since the 80s.
4 '72 Seasons' (2023)
Metallica's eleventh studio LP, 72 Seasons, was released in 2023, 40 years after its debut Kill 'Em All. It is the group's first album since 1988's ...And Justice For All to not debut at number one on the Billboard Album chart, ending a run of six straight number one LPs. The title of the hard-hitting effort refers to the first 18 years of a person's life, which can be broken up into 72 seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter. In the album's liner notes, Hetfield explains, "The first 18 years of our lives that form our true and false selves. The concept that we were told 'who we are' by our parents. A possible pigeonholing around what kind of personality we are. Much of our adult experience is reenactment or reaction to these childhood experiences. Prisoners of childhood or breaking free of those bondages we carry."
72 Seasons is a progressive and riff-heavy effort that proves Metallica is still relevant. The compelling record is a testament to the band's longevity. "Lux Æterna," which was released as the first single, is the shortest song at three-and-a-half minutes, but it's jam-packed with speedy riffage with unconventional twists and turns. The epic title track, "72 Seasons," which is just under eight minutes long, won a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance at the 2024 ceremony. There's incredible dual guitar work on the record's final offering, "Inamorata," which is Metallica's longest song at just over 11 minutes.
3 'Hardwired... to Self-Destruct' (2016)
Hardwired... to Self-Destruct was released in 2016, eight years after Death Magnetic. It feels like a continuation of their 2008 effort with a progressive feel and an aggressive chip on its shoulder. It is filled with heavy riffs full of attitude and slightly more concise arrangements, while still being very ambitious. The LP marks the quartet's sixth straight effort to debut at number one on the Billboard Album chart. It's a bit more lyrically diverse and has a better overall sound than Death Magnetic.
"Hardwired" is a hard-hitting track that is the shortest on the album at just over three minutes. On the other side of the spectrum, the longest track is the eight-minute "Halo on Fire," a crushing tune with incredible twin guitar harmony lines. "Atlas Rise!" is another stand out with its Iron Maiden-inspired harmony guitar work. "ManUNkind" has a unique verse riff in 3/4 time that switches seamlessly back and forth to 4/4 throughout the song, creating musical tension and release. "Murder One" is a head-banging mid-tempo tribute to Lemmy Kilmister, the frontman from Motörhead, who passed away in 2015. "Moth Into Flame" and "Spit Out The Bone" are two relentless thrash songs that harken back to Metallica's early days.
2 'Load' (1996)
Metallica followed up the most successful heavy metal LP of all time with Load, its longest album at just under 80 minutes. Musically, it features more blues-based riffs with alternative, country and groove-oriented influences. The band was inspired by grunge and alternative music that was peaking at the time, while leaning into southern rock territory on "Ain't My Bitch," "Poor Twisted Me," "Mama Said," "2 X 4," "The House That Jack Built," and "Hero of the Day."
The effort sounds more hard rock than thrash, with a lot of mid-tempo songs, but does maintain Metallica's heavy edge and attitude. It was the first album Kirk Hammett recorded rhythm guitar parts, creating a more breathable sound. "Until It Sleeps" was the highly anticipated debut single off the record. The classic peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the band's highest charting single to date. The hyper-stylistic video, directed by Samual Bayer, won Best Hard Rock Video at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards and showed off the quartet's new alternative look with short hair, surprising and upsetting some longtime fans. "King Nothing," "Bleeding Me," and "The Outlaw Torn" are the most complex tracks and fan favorites that still resonate. Load debuted at number one on the Billboard Album chart, selling over 680-thousand copies in its first week, marking the best sales week of the year and Metallica's best debut in history.
Metallica's 1991 self-titled album, widely referred to as The Black Album, is the band's best-selling album, shifting over 31 million units worldwide. The effort produced five hit singles, including the Grammy-winning "Enter Sandman," "The Unforgiven," "Wherever I May Roam," "Sad But True," and the first true Metalliballad, "Nothing Else Matters." The group refined its sound on the record, focusing on slower grooves, succinct arrangements and powerful vocal performances. The album broke down barriers between heavy metal, rock and pop music fans. It crossed over to the masses with substantial radio play and the music videos were on high rotation on MTV.
Metallica toured for over three and a half years in support of the record, playing over 400 concerts in 30 countries, including the group's first shows in the Soviet Union, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. The no-skip classic is the best-selling metal release of all-time. It topped the charts in 10 countries and remained on the Billboard Album chart for over 700 weeks, peaking at number one for four consecutive weeks in August and September 1991. The Black Album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2009. The LP had an indelible impact on Gen X and is still very relevant today with the ubiquitous guitar riff from "Enter Sandman" played at every sporting event and on classic rock radio in perpetuity.
Classic Rock Personality Quiz
Who's Your Perfect
Classic Rock Band?
A Personality Quiz · 10 Questions
Five legendary bands. One perfect match. Answer 10 questions about your personality, attitude, and taste to find out which classic rock icon you truly belong with. Are you raw power, rolling swagger, operatic drama, thunderous riffs, or timeless melody?
⚡AC/DC
👅Rolling Stones
🤘Metallica
👑Queen
🎸The Beatles
01
How do you walk into a room? Choose the answer that feels most like you.
02
What does your ideal Friday night look like?
03
What's your philosophy on keeping things simple vs. complex?
04
How would your friends describe your personal style?
05
How do you want to be remembered?
06
What kind of crowd do you want around you?
07
If you were writing a song, what would it be about?
08
What's your secret to staying relevant over time?
09
You're playing to 80,000 people. What does your performance look like?
10
Pick the word that best sums up your relationship with rock music. This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully.
Your Result Your Perfect Band Is Revealed
Based on your personality, energy, and taste, the classic rock band that matches your soul is…
⚡ AC/DC
You are pure, undiluted rock energy. You don't need tricks, trends, or theatrical gimmicks — you have something more powerful: a riff that hits like a thunderbolt and an attitude that never wavers. Like AC/DC, you understand that simplicity executed with absolute conviction is its own form of genius. You're the person in the room who doesn't overthink it, doesn't pretend, and never turns the volume down. The highway to hell is a state of mind — and you've been on it since day one.
👅 The Rolling Stones
You've got swagger that can't be taught. Rooted in the blues and soaked in street-level attitude, you move through life with a loose, dangerous elegance that draws people in without ever trying too hard. Like the Stones, you've seen it all, done most of it, and somehow look better for it. You're not chasing perfection — you're chasing truth, groove, and that electric moment when everything clicks. Can't always get what you want? You tend to get it anyway.
👑 Queen
You are magnificent, and you know it — not from arrogance, but from an unshakeable sense of self that has never needed anyone's permission. Like Queen, you defy every category people try to place you in. You blend the epic with the intimate, the operatic with the anthemic, the serious with the playful. You live boldly, love fiercely, and perform every aspect of your life as though the whole world is watching. Because sometimes it is. We are the champions — and so are you.
🎸 The Beatles
You have the rarest of gifts: the ability to make something that feels both deeply personal and universally human. Like The Beatles, you're a natural connector — someone whose warmth, curiosity, and creative instincts draw people together across every divide. You believe in melody, in craftsmanship, and in the quiet power of a song that says exactly what someone needed to hear. You've changed the people around you just by being who you are. All you need is love — and you give it generously.
Who's Your Perfect Classic Rock Band?
Classic Rock Personality QuizWho's Your PerfectClassic Rock Band?A Personality Quiz · 10 QuestionsFive legendary bands. One perfect match. Answer 10 questions about your personality, attitude, and taste to find out which classic rock icon you truly belong with. Are you raw power, rolling swagger, operatic drama, thunderous riffs, or timeless melody?
⚡AC/DC
👅Rolling Stones
🤘Metallica
👑Queen
🎸The Beatles
Begin Quiz →
01
How do you walk into a room?Choose the answer that feels most like you.
ALike a freight train — loud, fast, and everyone knows I've arrived.BWith a slow, cool swagger — I take my time and own every step.CHead down, focused — I'm here for a purpose and small talk isn't it.DWith total confidence and a flair for the dramatic — all eyes on me.EWarmly and curiously — genuinely excited to see what and who is here.
Next Question →
02
What does your ideal Friday night look like?
ALoud bar, cold beer, cranked jukebox — the louder the better.BA smoky club, good company, and doing whatever feels right in the moment.CIntense concert or staying in with headphones — nothing in between.DSomething theatrical — a show, a dinner party, an experience worth remembering.EHanging with close friends, maybe making music, keeping it relaxed and genuine.
Next Question →
03
What's your philosophy on keeping things simple vs. complex?
ASimple is king. A great riff repeated perfectly beats any amount of cleverness.BKeep it loose and bluesy — the groove matters more than technical perfection.CGo deep and dark — I want layers, tension, and something that hits hard.DWhy not both? Elaborate arrangements and hook-driven anthems can coexist.ECraft every detail — a perfect melody is the result of countless small choices.
Next Question →
04
How would your friends describe your personal style?
ANo-frills, no-nonsense — jeans, a t-shirt, and ready to go.BEffortlessly cool — slightly dishevelled in a way that somehow always works.CDark and deliberate — black is a lifestyle, not just a colour.DBold and expressive — fashion is a form of performance for me.EClean and classic — timeless over trendy, always put-together.
Next Question →
05
How do you want to be remembered?
AAs someone who never let the energy drop — relentless, loud, and alive.BAs someone who lived fully and on my own terms, unapologetically.CAs someone who was brutally honest and made music that meant something real.DAs someone who transcended genres, boundaries, and expectations entirely.EAs someone who changed the world — and left it genuinely better than I found it.
Next Question →
06
What kind of crowd do you want around you?
APeople who are there to have a blast — no pretension, just pure fun and noise.BA mix of rebels and free spirits who don't take themselves too seriously.CA loyal, passionate crew who are all in — intensity over numbers every time.DEveryone — I want to unite people who wouldn't normally be in the same room.EPeople who appreciate craft and feel genuinely connected by the music.
Next Question →
07
If you were writing a song, what would it be about?
AHaving a good time, turning it up, and not overthinking it.BStreet life, desire, and the rawness of being human.CAnger, grief, war, or the darker side of the world — music as a weapon.DSomething epic and emotional — love, loss, triumph, or pure fantasy.ESomething personal and universal at once — a feeling everyone can recognise.
Next Question →
08
What's your secret to staying relevant over time?
ANever change the formula — if it works, it works. Consistency is everything.BStay hungry, stay dangerous, and always keep a bit of that rebellious edge.CEarn respect through dedication — the work and the live show speak for themselves.DReinvent constantly — never let anyone put you in a box or predict your next move.EWrite songs so good they can't be ignored, in any decade, in any context.
Next Question →
09
You're playing to 80,000 people. What does your performance look like?
AA wall of sound and sweat — pure, unfiltered energy from first note to last.BLoose, cool, and dangerous — every song feels like it might fall apart but never does.CBrutal precision — tight, powerful, and leaving no one unmoved.DA full spectacle — lights, costumes, vocal acrobatics, and total theatrical command.EWarm, joyful, and tight — the crowd singing every word back at you.
Next Question →
10
Pick the word that best sums up your relationship with rock music.This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully.
ARaw — stripped back, high-voltage, no frills.BRolling — fluid, dangerous, built on blues and attitude.CHeavy — powerful, honest, uncompromising.DMajestic — theatrical, boundary-defying, unforgettable.ETimeless — melodic, human, built to last forever.
See My Result →
Your ResultYour Perfect Band Is Revealed Based on your personality, energy, and taste, the classic rock band that matches your soul is…
⚡ AC/DC You are pure, undiluted rock energy. You don't need tricks, trends, or theatrical gimmicks — you have something more powerful: a riff that hits like a thunderbolt and an attitude that never wavers. Like AC/DC, you understand that simplicity executed with absolute conviction is its own form of genius. You're the person in the room who doesn't overthink it, doesn't pretend, and never turns the volume down. The highway to hell is a state of mind — and you've been on it since day one.
👅 The Rolling Stones You've got swagger that can't be taught. Rooted in the blues and soaked in street-level attitude, you move through life with a loose, dangerous elegance that draws people in without ever trying too hard. Like the Stones, you've seen it all, done most of it, and somehow look better for it. You're not chasing perfection — you're chasing truth, groove, and that electric moment when everything clicks. Can't always get what you want? You tend to get it anyway.
👑 Queen You are magnificent, and you know it — not from arrogance, but from an unshakeable sense of self that has never needed anyone's permission. Like Queen, you defy every category people try to place you in. You blend the epic with the intimate, the operatic with the anthemic, the serious with the playful. You live boldly, love fiercely, and perform every aspect of your life as though the whole world is watching. Because sometimes it is. We are the champions — and so are you.
🎸 The Beatles You have the rarest of gifts: the ability to make something that feels both deeply personal and universally human. Like The Beatles, you're a natural connector — someone whose warmth, curiosity, and creative instincts draw people together across every divide. You believe in melody, in craftsmanship, and in the quiet power of a song that says exactly what someone needed to hear. You've changed the people around you just by being who you are. All you need is love — and you give it generously.
↩ Retake Quiz
Classic Albums: Metallica - Metallica
- Release Date
- November 6, 2001
- Runtime
- 50 minutes
-
James Hetfield
Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
-
Kirk Hammett
Self - Guitar
-
Jason Newsted
Self - Bass
-
Lars Ulrich
Self - Drums
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.