It's not uncommon for Metallica to appear on the Official Rock & Metal Albums chart, the United Kingdom’s ranking of the bestselling full-lengths and EPs in those styles. The group usually claims at least one of the 40 available spaces, if not several at a time. What is less commonly seen these days is Metallica’s name in the top spot.

While the band’s back catalog remains hugely popular and certain titles continue to sell well enough each and every frame to hold on, it takes a special set of circumstances for the hard rock legends to own the ranking, as the band does once again this week.

Metallica returns to the throne on the Official Rock & Metal Albums chart as Load reappears on the tally. The decades-old project reenters the list at No. 1, pushing Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge by My Chemical Romance out of first place and down to third, as Roar Like Thunder by Buckcherry opens in the runner-up spot.

Load leads the Official Rock & Metal Albums chart for only the second time. The project debuted atop the tally in June 1996. It's been almost 30 years since then, and somehow Metallica’s sixth full-length has never managed to rule the ranking again, until now.

The project has managed 79 total stays on the roster, 33 of which have been inside the top 10.

On June 13, Metallica reissued Load as a super deluxe box set. The lengthy collection includes demos, additional mixes, videos, live tracks, and more. Those who opted for the physical version received 15 CDs, four DVDs, and a book that features more than 100 pages all about the group.

As Load takes control of the Official Rock & Metal Albums chart, it also reaches the top 10 on three other lists. Metallica’s project debuts at No. 5 on the Official Vinyl Albums ranking and No. 6 on the Official Albums Sales roster. The set also breaks back onto the Official Physical Albums chart at No. 6, while coming in at No. 40 on both the Official Albums and Official Album Downloads tallies.