In a new Sun Sentinel interview about the NEWSTED concert in Fort Lauderdale, Jason Newsted was asked about a comment Lars Ulrich made a couple of years ago about why the bassist left METALLICA. Asked if he was looking for a more creative outlet with ECHOBRAIN, then VOIVOD and NEWSTED, Jason replied:
“I haven’t changed my goals or aspirations, whatever it’s called. I always played with people who wanted to play, you know? Sure, the caliber grew over time, but that was my mentality even before I got into the famous band [METALLICA]. I played in a lot of projects while I was touring with METALLICA, and it never stopped over the years.
The NEWSTED project was a continuation of that line when it started in 2012 and we toured the world with it, we went to 22 or 24 countries. The same mentality and the same drive has always existed. So that’s probably what Lars is talking about. I always wanted to keep my fire going. And when I went back to [METALLICA], I was probably more ready and excited to do it. I feel more satisfied if I can do my thing with my guys here and then go back to the famous guys who will play super loud. That was cool for me. Maybe what he was saying was that I couldn’t find the balance anymore.”
