Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted has said he’s in talks with the band about some form of collaboration – although he won’t say what it is.
And he’s added that he’s “proud” of his ex-colleagues after hearing their latest track Hardwired, released earlier this month.
He left the thrash icons in 2001, contributing to their near-collapse as documented in the movie Some Kind Of Monster, and Robert Trujillo took his place two years later.
Asked about Hardwired, Newsted tells Eddie Trunk Live: “I can’t believe how wicked it is. I heard it a couple of times. I like its nature, I like its teeth. It’s great.”
He says of his current relationship with Metallica: “I’ve got a call with Lars coming up on Thursday here. I’ve been talking to him every couple of weeks.
“As they’re coming out with a new record, there’s a lot of stuff going on within the underpinnings of it all, or whatever you wanna call it. We always are in touch. Now we’re actually doing voice-to-voice, which is nice. I’m hoping to be able to get person-to-person before long.
“They do have quite a bit to do here with this new record. I’m excited for them, man. I’m proud of them.”
- The Top 10 Best Lamb Of God Songs
- Metallica's Kirk Hammett refuses to read Hardwired comments
- Guns N' Roses' Appetite For Destruction voted best debut of the last 30 years
- The Top 10 Greatest Metallica Riffs Ever
Asked whether his contact is friendly, business-related, or connected to some kind of collaboration, he replies: “All those three,” but refuses to be drawn on details.
Newsted’s last appearance with Metallica came during their 30th anniversary concerts in San Francisco in 2011.
He’s recently been concentrating on acoustic-based music, saying: “After 30 years of playing heavy music, I’ve been around the globe about five times. I’ve already climbed that mountain.” The move came after he shut down his self-titled metal band in 2014.
Metallica release 10th album Hardwired… To Self Destruct on November 18. Trujillo last week described the follow-up to 2008’s Death Magnetic as “crushing” and added: “It’s really fun music, but it’s also challenging. I feel we’ve matured in the right way as a band.”
They plan to commence touring in January.
