Jason Newsted Recalls James Hetfield And Lars Ulrich Got Mad At Him For Recording Without Metallica

Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted did a brand new interview with Metal Hammer. In the interview, Newsted reflected on his former bandmates James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich‘s attitude toward side projects in his era.

Newsted joined Metallica in 1986 after the band’s bassist Cliff Burton‘s tragically died in a tour bus crash. Jason Newsted won the auditions with the participation of many talented bassists such as Testament‘s Greg Christian and Megadeth‘s David Ellefson.

The band was already reached internationally famous when Newsted joined Metallica. He helped them to grow up their catalog and has appeared on eleven albums with Metallica, including four studio albums. Newsted also took part in the band’s best-selling self-titled album, The Black Album, also known as Metallica.

On the other hand, founding members of the group, James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich were not very open to side projects in Newsted‘s time. Following the release of Kirk Hammett’s new solo album Portals, Newsted talks about his problems with Ulrich and Hetfield to Metal Hammer. Saying that he just wanted to play music with Devin Townsend, Newsted revealed when he established The Chophouse the first time.

“This was the very origins,” Newsted says. “I had just established the Chophouse in ’92 and by ’94 we had all the gear. Devin came down at the age of about 22 and was an absolute fucking maniac… dude, an hour-and-a-half of sleep a day for a whole week! And every time he would pick up a guitar you get, ‘Widdle widdle widdle’ and you’re like, ‘Dude, where in the hell did that come from?! Now play it backwards!’

“It was the first real project we took time to track in the Chophouse. It’s just drum and bass, Devin doing some mad guitar solo over the top, I go in and scream the vocal – done. Raw production, but an incredible accomplishment, because I always wanted my own studio.”

Lars Ulrich Says ‘You Can’t Just be Making Music and Sending out Tapes While You In Metallica’

Newsted talks about the argument he had with Lars Ulrich about the music they made with Devin Townsend in The Chophouse band, which he established in the 90s. He admitted that James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich got mad at him when they heard he established it. According to him, they hurt his feelings, and he broke down in front of them.

“The guys got wind of it, and Lars said, ‘You gotta come up to the house,'” Newsted continues. “I didn’t really know what it was for, so I take my bass and go up there: ‘What’s up, guys?’ ‘Dude, you know you’re in Metallica now, don’t you? You can’t just be making music and sending out tapes to whatever fucker with whichever fucker. You do understand that, right?’ ‘Oh!’

“I didn’t realize at all! I didn’t know about the politics; I was just sharing some metal with my friends! I pretty much broke down on that day in front of Lars and James. I was like, ‘I’m sorry, it won’t happen again!’ And that was the first time.”

On April 18, Jason Newsted had talked about his former band Metallica’s huge success. Newsted said Metallica is the heaviest and biggest band in the world, adding the biggest called-KISS hasn’t even sold as many records like them.

“I think it’s very important for everybody to know [that] how gracious that [was],” Jason said (as transcribed by MetalCastle.net). “We have been to each other like the band has been very gracious to me.

“And I have tried to be the same and take the high road. I will not say a negative word about Metallica, no. But I will defend them till the end no matter what anybody wants to go after because I know better.

“I just think it’s such an important thing to keep the pride together, keep that respect together. Look at what it’s become. Is there really a bigger band on the planet – overall, globally – I don’t think so. There is U2, there is – well, the news isn’t going anymore, right? What’s another headlining band because it ain’t KISS. It’s not that generation. There is not anybody from that generation that’s as powerful as Metallica.

“KISS still hasn’t sold as many records as Metallica – I’m sorry. They had a 10-year jump on Metallica [but] they still haven’t sold [as many records as Metallica.] Tom Petty hasn’t sold more than Metallica. WTF?

“Excuse me – you know what I mean, really? I’m not saying this out of this, ‘Oh, look at my big head.’ I’m just stating the facts. Like, is there actually a bigger band globally? I don’t think so.

“So, that kind of thing – still doing ‘WHOA’. It’s still doing the thing and still doing the thing [that] what they want to do. And being bigger every time, every stadium, every country, every continent – all continents they’ve played – but now, actually.

“So it’s just totally correct, man. It’s just a beautiful, beautiful thing the determination and conviction of those people as a collective. That’s why they are only one. Nobody has played their game that righteously for 40 years like that – worked that hard taking into it to the people. They’re the one man.”