i would say people knowing of metallica when the blakc album came out was more about the fact that THEY NEVER HAD A MUSIC VIDEO BEFORE "One" so they didn't have a built in commercial audience until the black album....

honestly my favorite metallica album is ...and justice for all.

But i have never understood how anyone could listen to that... then listen to the stuff since and view any of it as anything but a watered down version of a formerly great and influencal band... metallica has not released one bit of influencal music since ...and justce.

the do de3serve MTV Icon status... bu tit should have been done before the black album... metallica has done nothing but tarnish their legacy since then