Metallica Plot 30th-Anniversary ‘Black Album’ Reissue With Massive Box Set, Covers Compilation

Metallica will mark the 30th anniversary of their 1991 self-titled classic — best known as The Black Album — with a special reissue and a compilation featuring 53 artists covering their favorite songs from the LP. Both will be released on September 10th.

The official reissue will be released in several formats, including a deluxe box set that contains a whopping 14 CDs, six vinyl LPs, six DVDs, and more (digital versions and smaller sets will also be available). To tease the reissue, Metallica shared three different versions of “Enter Sandman” — a remaster of the studio original, a live version from Metallica’s 1991 show in Moscow, Russia, and a demo version dated July 12th, 1990.

Metallica also teased the covers collection, dubbed The Metallica Blacklist, with two offerings: Miley Cyrus’ rendition of “Nothing Else Matters,” which also features Watt, Elton John, Yo-Yo Ma, Robert Trujillo, and Chad Smith, as well as Juanes’ rendition of “Enter Sandman.”

Included in the deluxe box set version of The Black Album reissue is a remastered version of the original Black Album (on both CD and vinyl), a “Sad But True” picture disc, a Live at Wembley vinyl EP, and a Live at Moscow double vinyl LP. The various CDs will boast an array of unreleased content, including demos, rough mixes, and outtakes; live recordings from shows in Oakland, Sacramento, and Germany; and even two discs of band interviews conducted by David Fricke and Steffan Chriazi.

On top of all that, the six DVDs in the box set will feature some “making-of” footage, music videos, and “home movies” shot by photographer Ross Halfin. There will also be a Wherever We May Roam concert film, plus live shows shot in Belgium, Germany, and Denmark.

As for The Metallica Blacklist, the collection features contributions from artists from every genre imaginable. Among them are Alessia Cara, Mac DeMarco, Weezer, Rina Sawayama, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, St. Vincent, Royal Blood, White Reaper, Corey Taylor, Mexican Institute of Sound, Flatbush Zombies, José Madero, Moses Sumney, J Balvin, the Neptunes, Phoebe Bridgers, Mickey Guyton, Darius Rucker, Chris Stapleton, Idles, and Kamasi Washington. (A trailer featuring snippets of several songs is available below.)

Following its digital release in September, vinyl and CD versions of The Metallica Blacklist will be released on October 1st. All profits from this collection will be donated to a variety of charities selected by the contributing artists along with Metallica’s own All Within My Hands foundation.