Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted gave an extremely candid interview to Metal Hammer recently that's not only packed with juicy details about his time in Metallica, but also his never-before-aired opinions on the band's music. In addition to revealing that he thought "Enter Sandman" was "kinda corny" and naming the other "Black Albums" songs he's not hot on, Newsted also shared his flabbergasted thoughts on St. Anger, the first album Metallica released after Newsted was no longer in the band.
At one point in the interview, Newsted is asked if he's ever listened to any of the albums Metallica released after his departure. "Never," Newsted replied.
"I heard the one where they made the video in prison [St. Anger]. I heard one song with my dad while we were riding in the car in Michigan, because the radio is still pretty wed to Metallica, and it went on for fucking ever. It was eight minutes on the radio, and I went, 'What the fuck are they doing?' No disrespect, but I didn't get it.
"It was maybe harking back to the longer songs and the aggression and the tempo. And that stuff takes a lot of energy to play, and with James going up and down the fretboard like that, no one can touch it. I have a lot of respect for that thing, but I am quite a distance away from that type of music now.
"I still like my heavy songs, but I sing for real now. I play the bass right up high, sing those backing vocals way up high. I still love Sepultura and stuff… but it really isn't the way that I used to. I'd be happy to join them to do that stuff if they wanted me to. I still talk to Lars a fair bit, and I send him my stuff and he's always super-supportive. I really appreciate it, and I respect his opinion. If he called me and asked if I wanted to throw down, I'd say yes, but I'm not sure if I'd say yes to anyone else."
So there you have it. Read the full Metal Hammer Q&A here.
