Metallica released their self-titled album, commonly called The Black Album, in August 1991. It quickly became their most successful album. Later, the Diamond-certified LP became one of the best-selling albums of all time. It was also their first album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200. In short, it marked a major milestone in the band’s long and legendary career.

Metallica’s self-titled album marked a departure in sound for the band. They moved away from thrash metal into something more accessible that brought them major mainstream success. Songs like “Enter Sandman” and “The Unforgiven” were top 10 hits on the Mainstream Rock chart and got plenty of attention. However, some of the best songs on the album, unfortunately, get overlooked.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1991, Metallica Released One of the Best-Selling Albums of All Time]

1. “Of Wolf and Man”

There have been plenty of metal songs about werewolves and other horror movie monsters that fell flat. However, Metallica nailed it with this track from the perspective of a werewolf. It’s not overly gory or violent. Instead, it speaks to the freedom that comes from leaving one’s human form behind. Lines like We shift, pulsing with the Earth and Wildness is the preservation of the world / So seek the wolf in thyself, made everyone want to shape shift and creep through the new day’s mist.

2. “The God That Failed”

James Hetfield wrote all of the lyrics for Metallica. Some of the songs were a little more personal and introspective than others. “The God That Failed” is one of those songs. While many think this was just the band being edgy and giving the middle finger to religion, it was inspired by Hetfield’s mother’s death. She was a follower of the Christian Science doctrine and, as a result, refused medical treatment, believing that her faith would heal her. “The God That Failed” was Hetfield working through his anger over her passing.

3. “Holier Than Thou”

“Holier Than Thou” is another track that many believed was a shot at religion. However, that wasn’t the case. Instead, the lyrics were inspired by James Hetfield’s irritation at people in the music industry who were more than happy to point out others’ mistakes while ignoring their own, according to Songfacts. Initially, producer Bob Rock wanted to release this as the album’s lead single. However, when they finished the album, “Enter Sandman” became the unanimous pick.

4. “My Friend of Misery”

“My Friend of Misery” is one of the more relatable tracks from The Black Album. Nearly everyone knows the kind of person the lyrics describe. At the same time, it’s an important one for longtime fans of Metallica because it is one of only three songs on which Jason Newstead received a writing credit. He wrote the intro riff on which the whole song is built.

“That wa a moment where those guys kind of bowed and said, ‘Here you go, man, put your song on there,’ being the guy who came up with that, as opposed to being part of the team, I got to be myself for a minute there, which was a real accomplishment,” Newsted said of the song.

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