Johnny Cash, The Man in Black, continues to walk the line in his musical career-one that spans more than five decades with more than 100 hit singles.

-Initially marketing himself as a gospel singer, Cash comes full circle on his latest release, “American IV: The Man Comes Around,” which continues his recent trend of lending his familiar, solemn baritone to the works of other artists, past and present, transforming them into his own personal sermons.

On his first three “American” releases, Cash covered a wide array of artists, ranging from Soundgarden (“Rusty Cage”) to Neil Diamond (“Solitary Man”). Release No. 4 finds him reworking familiar standbys from the likes of Simon and Garfunkel (“Bridge Over Troubled Water” with Fiona Apple) and the Beatles (“In My Life”), as well as Nine Inch Nails (“Hurt”) and Depeche Mode (“Personal Jesus”). He works with an all-star supporting cast, including Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante, Bad Seed’s frontman Nick Cave, former Eagles drummer and solo artist Don Henley, and three-fourths of Beck’s backing band: guitarist Smokey Hormel, drummer Joey Waronker and multi-instrumentalist Roger Manning Jr.

Though Cash’s duet with Cave on Hank Williams Sr.’s “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” transcends his other covers, the album’s chief highlight is an original composition from Cash himself; one of five the album boasts.

Inspired by a dream of biblical implications, the album-opening title track finds Cash preaching about Judgment Day, minimally accompanied by acoustic guitar and flourishes of piano that assist in punctuating his lyrics: “There’s a man going ’round taking names/ He decides who to free and who to blame/ Everybody won’t be treated all the same/ There will be a golden ladder reaching down when the man comes around.”

Cash, at the age of 70, as a singer and songwriter, remains a study in contrasts: rebellious yet revered; austere though not overbearing; minimal yet rich.

For long-time fans, “American IV: The Man Comes Around” should prove a worthwhile listening experience. New listeners, however, should first familiarize themselves with Cash’s extensive and recently re-released back catalog, beginning with 1968’s landmark “Live at Folsom Prison.”