*All other manufacturers’ product names and logos are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated, endorsed or affiliated with Drumatica. ERAS 1991 is not an official Metallica product and is not affiliated with Metallica, Bob Rock, Randy Staub, or Elektra Records. One on One Studios are in no way associated, endorsed or affiliated with Drumatica or this product.
ERAS: 1991 – Black Album-inspired Drum Samples
Sale price$99.00Regular price
$119.00
ERAS: 1991 by Drumatica draws from the unforgettable drum sound that defined Metallica’s iconic Black Album. Recorded at Los Angeles’ legendary One On One Studios and engineered by Grammy Award-winner Brendan Dekora, we built this library using the same recording philosophy pioneered by Bob Rock and Randy Staub back in 1991— truthful close mics capturing the detail, analog signal chains delivering the warmth, and wide natural room ambience to create the mood.
ERAS: 1991 is a mix-ready drum sample library for modern production workflows, giving music makers & producers instant access to a drum sound inspired by one of the most iconic rock records ever made. Not an exact replica, but an inspired drum sample library built to capture the atmosphere and attack of that pivotal record from 1991 — ready to use in your own rock, heavy rock, and metal productions.
Whether you're creating new heavy drums or replacing existing performances that need more size and attitude, ERAS: 1991 gives you a premium drum sample library recorded at one of the most celebrated drum rooms in Los Angeles — ready to use in your music.
ERAS: 1991 – Black Album-inspired Drum Samples
Sale price$99.00Regular price
$119.00
ERAS 1991: A GAME-CHANGING DRUM SOUND
Some records don’t just resonate with an audience — they redefine the sound of an entire genre. They change the game.
When Metallica released The Black Album in 1991, the guitars, the drums and the entire production changed the course of heavy music. Bigger, more precise, and more explosive than what had come before. The record introduced a drum sound that would become the benchmark for arena rock and metal production for decades. It is a sound musicians, producers, and engineers continue to chase.
With ERAS: 1991, Drumatica set out to retrace the sonic path of that moment — returning to the same legendary Los Angeles studio, using much of the same gear, and applying the same recording philosophy to recreate a drum sound that defined an era.
But to recreate a sound this unforgettable, we had to first go back to its source, a legendary room.
The Studio: Where It All Began
One On One Studios, built in 1982, was home to some of the most iconic rock recordings in history — from Metallica’s ...And Justice for All and The Black Album to Mötley Crüe’s Girls, Girls, Girls, Whitesnake’s 1987, and Alice In Chains’ Dirt. Its unique room sound is forever etched into rock history.
Studio A has long been regarded as one of the great drum rooms in Los Angeles. The space is known for its enormous natural ambience, allowing snares to explode, toms to thunder, and kick drums to sit powerfully in the center of a mix without losing clarity.
For ERAS: 1991, we positioned our kit in the same spot in the studio where Lars Ulrich set up for the recording of The Black Album to capture as much of that room’s natural character as possible. Using many of the same vintage microphones available at the studio, the goal was simple: to authentically capture the scale, power, and presence that made that drum sound so iconic — not as an exact replica, but as a faithful guide.
But the room was only one part of it. We also had to approach the project with the same mindset and purpose that helped make those Bob Rock sessions so iconic.
An Obsessive Approach
The drum sound of Metallica’s Black Album did not happen by accident.
It was built — methodically, obsessively through vision, discipline, and a relentless commitment to making drums sound amazing (and natural) at the source.
Bob Rock. Randy Staub. One on One Studios.
Together, they helped shape one of the most inspiring drum sounds in rock history through impeccable tuning, strategic mic placement, inspired performances, and room magic.
This was our inspiration - and our challenge.
For ERAS: 1991, Grammy Award-winning engineer Brendan Dekora (NIN, Foo Fighters, Linkin Park) accepted the challenge and brought that same spirit into our process — using many of the same vintage mic models placed in similar positions like the Black Album sessions, and recording through a BAS Neve Custom Series 75 analog console to help shape the warmth and full-bodied analog tone that make big rock drums feel larger than life.
And once the approach was right, the foundation had to be right, too: the kit itself.
The Kit: Built For Rock
ERAS: 1991 was not built as a museum-piece replica of every drum, microphone, engineer, and decision from a single historic session. It was built as an inspired, era-specific drum sample library designed to capture the atmosphere, attack, and recorded spirit of that period — and make that sound usable inside modern productions.
For the foundation of the library, we chose a late-’80s TAMA Granstar — a line strongly connected to Lars Ulrich’s late-’80s and early-’90s recording period. Built from 100% Japanese birch shells, this five-piece kit delivers the focused low end, sharp transient attack, and controlled projection needed to get into the same sonic territory as the record that inspired this library.
We recorded two rack toms and two floor toms, giving the library a complete studio-ready tom spread with the size, tuning range, and impact needed for hard rock and metal productions.
For the kick, we did not chase the visual mythology of a live double-bass stage setup. We focused on what makes sense in the studio: a rock-solid kick sound that could deliver the weight, consistency, and response needed for fast, heavy performances.
To honor the spirit of that double-kick approach — and satisfy even the die-hard fanatics — we sampled our kick as both KICK 1 and KICK 2, using unique hits for each to simulate the feel and response of a true double-kick performance.
But if the rest of the kit was about capturing the spirit of the era, the snare was different. There, we knew we had to use the exact same kind of snare that was so important to the sound.
An icon on its own.
A Snare Worthy of "The TERMINATOR" Nickname
The early ’80s Tama Bell Brass 6.5x14" snare drum is an icon in and of itself — used on landmark rock recordings like "the Black Album", Nirvana’s "Nevermind", Rage Against the Machine’s "Evil Empire", and Stone Temple Pilots’ "Core". It’s famous for its dense body, metallic bite, and deep low-mid weight — a snare sound that feels massive and dominating.
Living up to its “Terminator” nickname, this is the kind of snare that does not just cut through a mix — it owns it.
For ERAS: 1991, that mattered.
Because if you are serious about trying to get the massive drum sound of the Black Album era, the snare cannot be an afterthought. To get this sound right, you have to sample a Tama bell brass.
That is exactly what we did — and that's why the Tama Bell Brass sits at the center of ERAS: 1991, with every inch of the snare meticulously sampled to give you multiple articulations and hit types, with Round Robin variations.
Original Bell Brass snares from this era are exceptionally scarce—often commanding $10,000–$15,000 on the vintage market—and we were fortunate to get our hands on one to dial-in that amazing sound.
It is exactly the kind of sound ERAS: 1991 was built to put at your fingertips (and in your music).
ERAS: 1991 - WHAT's INSIDE
ERAS: 1991 is a deeply sampled, Grammy-winner-mixed complete, era-specific vintage TAMA Granstar rock kit delivered in stereo WAV and Slate Trigger 2 formats.
Designed for fast, flexible use inside your existing production workflow, ERAS: 1991 includes thousands of individual drum samples captured with up to 10 velocity layers per sample, multiple round robins for natural variation, and detailed articulations for realistic playback.
FORMATS INCLUDED:
Stereo WAV Samples
Professionally mixed, balanced, and summed into stereo presets ranging from moderately ambient to all mics open, giving you fast access to the massive sound of Studio A without building a mix from scratch. Use them for programming, layering, sound design, and custom drum builds inside any DAW or sampler. No dedicated sampler or virtual instrument is required to use the stereo WAV files — use them however you wish.
- Thousands of individual drum samples
- Up to 10 velocity layers per sample
- Multiple round robins for natural variation
- Detailed articulations for realistic playback
Slate Trigger 2 Files
For blending, replacing, or enhancing live drum recordings, with individual microphone separation inside Trigger 2 — so you can add in as much or as little room as you’d like.
KIT PIECES INCLUDED:
- 12x11” rack tom — center hits
- 13x14” rack tom — center hits
- 15x16” floor tom — center hits
- 16x16” floor tom — center hits
- 6.5x14” Bell Brass snare — “The TERMINATOR” — center, edge, rimshot, and sidestick articulations
- 22x16” kick drum — Kick 1 and Kick 2 articulations with detailed dynamic layers
- Hi-hat — closed, 1/4 open, half-open, fully open, and pedal hits across stick shank/edge-of-hat articulations for plenty of variation
- Ride cymbal — bell, center/bow, and edge crash hits
- 17”, 18”, and 20” crash cymbals — edge and center/bow hits
Hi-Hat Articulations:
- Closed shank edge
- 25% open shank edge
- 50% open shank edge
- 100% open shank edge
- Pedal stomp
- Tighter Pedal stomp (quicker close)
FAQs
What is Drumatica's ERAS: 1991?
ERAS: 1991 is a premium rock drum sample library inspired by and built to capture the punchy, room-driven drum sound that defined early ’90s hard rock and metal production.
Is this a Metallica Black Album drum sample library?
ERAS: 1991 is inspired by the era, room, kit choices, and production approach associated with that iconic drum sound, but it is not an exact replica of the original sessions. It is also not an official Metallica product and is not affiliated with Metallica, Bob Rock, Randy Staub, or Elektra Records.
What formats are included?
ERAS: 1991 includes DAW-ready stereo WAV samples and Slate Trigger 2 drum replacement files, giving you flexible options for programming, layering, or replacing live drum tracks.
Is Slate Trigger 2 included?
No. ERAS: 1991 includes Slate Trigger 2-compatible files, but Slate Trigger 2 software is sold separately by Steven Slate Audio.
Can I use the WAV files without Slate Trigger 2?
Yes. The included WAV files can be used in any DAW or sampler that supports standard WAV audio.
Are the samples raw or processed?
ERAS: 1991 is designed as a mix-ready library. The sounds were professionally mixed through an analog console and built to drop quickly into modern rock and metal productions.
Is this meant for programming drums or replacing live drums?
Both. Use the WAV files for programming, layering, and creative sample work, or use the Slate Trigger 2 files to reinforce or replace live drum tracks.
Can I use these samples in my music?
Yes. You can use ERAS: 1991 in your own music productions, mixes, demos, releases, and client work.
Is reselling, redistributing, or repackaging these samples allowed?
You are free to use ERAS: 1991 samples in your own music productions, mixes, demos, releases, and client work. However, the samples themselves are protected by copyright law, including applicable international copyright protections, and may not be resold, redistributed, shared, repackaged, uploaded, or used to create another commercial sample library, virtual instrument, sound pack, or competing product. This restriction applies whether the samples are offered individually, layered with other sounds, blended into new drum sounds, processed, renamed, or embedded inside another product. Any unauthorized use, distribution, or resale is a violation of copyright law and the Drumatica license agreement, and Drumatica reserves the right to enforce its rights to the fullest extent permitted by law.