Jason Newsted Was Shocked After Hearing Metallica's '…And Justice for All'

Jason Newsted Was Shocked After Hearing Metallica’s ‘…And Justice for All’

2021-08-31

Metallica, ‘…And Justice for All,” album cover – Story by Charles Ken, photo via Elektra Records

Jason Newsted was less than pleased when he heard the lack of bass on the final mixes for “…And Justice for All”

One major landmark of Metallica’s storied 1988 album “…And Justice for All” has always been the record’s barely audible bass lines. Fans have often wondered why Jason Newsted’s bass was so buried in the mix.

Newsted, apparently, also wondered what happened when he first heard the album. In a new interview, the bassist explains that he was confused and upset when he heard the final mix for “…And Justice for All.”

“I was f***ing livid!,” Newsted told Metal Hammer. “Are you kidding me? I was ready [to go] for throats, man!”

He added, “No, I was out of my head, because I really thought I did well. And I thought I played how I was supposed to play.”

Hewsted became an official member of Metallica in 1986 following the death of bass player Cliff Burton. “…And Justice for All” was the first Metallica record that he performed on.

Because Newsted became a member of Metallica while replacing Burton, some fans have thought that drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist James Hetfield downplayed the bass lines out of wrongly placed anger or just as a reaction to losing Burton. Ulrich has since said the muddied bass wasn’t done on purpose and the sound resulted in the other instruments simply being cranked up so much.

Newsted parted ways with Metallica in 2001 and went on to perform in a handful of other metal bands. While things were tense when Newsted left Metallica, they seem to have patched things up, as earlier this month, he appeared in an unboxing video for Metallica’s upcoming “Black Album” 30th anniversary reissue package, which hits stores Sept. 10. Metallica also recently launched their own podcast to talk about the legacy of “The Black Album” and the band’s rich history.

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Charles Ken

Meet the expert - Charles Ken is a graduate of Michigan State University where he studied writing and history. He's a longtime music buff and covers classic rock for Audio Ink Radio. Contact him at ken@audioinkradio.com.