Exclusive: Jason Newsted Reflects on 25th Anniversary of Metallica’s ‘…And Justice For All’
On August 25, 1988, Metallica released their fourth studio album and the first since the death of bassist Cliff Burton. '...And Justice for All' featured Jason Newsted on bass and some of the most complex 'Tallica tunes to date. Twenty-five years later, songs like 'One' and 'Harvester of Sorrow' still prove to be fan-favorites at live shows.
Even with the complexity and anger of '...And Justice for All,' critics of the album have condemned the overall mix, claiming the bass parts are nearly inaudible.
Jason Newsted stopped by the Loudwire studio recently to talk about his new eponymous band, but he also took a few minutes to discuss the 25th anniversary of '...And Justice for All' (watch the video above). "Historically, it stands up over time. Maybe not the mix, but the songs do," Newsted told us. "The other day ... a kid comes up and gives me '...And Jason for All.' He's remixed the bass tracks back into 'Justice.' ... He was like, 'Dude, this is for you, how it was supposed to be.' I think how it was supposed to be is how it came out and how it made the mark on the world, but cool, bass in it? Thank you."
When asked if it felt like it's been a quarter century since the album was unleashed to the world, Newsted responded, "Twenty-five years and I still feel the same. I found my fountain of youth in heavy metal music," Newsted says. "'Justice' was great ... We took the music to all the corners of the places that it was allowed."
For more of Newsted's reflections on '...And Justice for All' and the impact it made, check out Loudwire's exclusive video interview with the bassist above.