The Metallica song about Jason Newsted’s departure
Metal titans Metallica have enjoyed a career of mythical proportions, and their contributions to the genre speak volumes. The band formed in 1981 after Danish drummer Lars Ulrich posted an advert in the Los Angeles publication, The Recycler, looking for bandmates who were also fans of metal titans Iron Maiden, Tygers of Pan Tang, and Diamond Head.
Before too long, the band would confirm the first of their classic lineups after original guitarist Dave Mustaine quit under a cloud of smoke and was replaced by Kirk Hammett. Their 1983 debut, Kill ‘Em All, was swiftly hailed as one of the pioneering points in thrash metal development. Afterwards, they would go from strength to strength.
The Californian band followed their debut with 1984’s Ride the Lightning, which built on their visceral foundations. Then, the unrelenting power of this early period reached a climax with 1986’s Master of Puppets, one of the greatest metal albums ever made. However, tragedy hit the band when resident bass hero Cliff Burton died in an accident whilst on tour in Sweden, which, understandably, set them on a different course altogether.
After grieving, the band interviewed nearly 40 people to replace their late comrade, including the eminent Les Claypool, who would go on to mastermind experimental rockers Primus. Instead, because Claypool was “too good”, they went with Jason Newsted of thrash contemporaries Flotsam and Jetsam, and their most commercially successful period ensued. They released three albums together, …And Justice for All, Metallica, and Reload, before he left in 2001. At this point, their position as one of the most significant acts on earth was crystallised.
Given that Newsted’s tenure as the band’s bassist was extensive and impactful, his departure was contentious. His decision to quit came after a meeting with the other three members when he proposed they all take a year off to focus on their solo projects, namely, so he could concentrate on Echobrain. However, the other band members, particularly frontman James Hetfield, rejected his request, so he opted to quit.
Although Hetfield thought he was looking after the band’s interests at the time, he soon came to view his actions as authoritarian and even controlling. These all-consuming feelings led to him penning a song about forcing his friend out, and this became ‘All Within My Hands’ from 2003’s much-maligned St. Anger.
An extensive piece, the song features the notoriously loose snare that symbolises the record, but you can see what the group were trying to do: emulate the biggest metal bands of the era, Slipknot and Korn. It’s actually one of the best cuts on the record and is bolstered by the pulsating grooves of producer Bob Rock’s bass playing.
Despite Hetfield’s regrets, Newsted has always maintained his happiness at leaving the band, and his choice allowed him to flourish creatively. It is his former bandmates who have rued his decision to leave.
Funnily enough, Ulrich said after Newsted’s departure: “The ironic thing is that the model for what would have been the perfect Metallica in Jason’s mind is the one that exists now. That is kind of ironic. It’s also a little sad because Jason’s a good guy, and he put a lot of effort into the band for many years, and in retrospect, he was never really fully accepted into the band. Then when he tried to go elsewhere to satisfy his creative needs, he was told — well, barked at — that he couldn’t. [Newsted] was the sacrificial lamb for our spiritual and mental growth as well as our creative growth, and it just sucks. It’s medieval.”
