We check in with all things heavy on RTRFM’s Critical Mass show.
Jason Newsted is a heavy metal journeyman. Plucked from B-level thrashers Flotsam And Jetsam to fill the seemingly un-fillable boots of the deceased Cliff Burton in Metallica, Newsted was the perennial whipping boy for his entire 15-year tenure. In his musical career he has jammed with Devin Townsend/Andreas Kisser on the fun but primitive ‘IR8 vs Sexoturica’, Dale Crover/Scott Reeder on the unreleased Tree Of The Sun project, Ozzy Osbourne as live bassist and Voivod where he pumped out 3 albums with the cult/sci-fi thrashers.
In 2001 Newsted left Metallica to work on his side project, the weird alt/indie Echobrain, due to artistic differences in the direction Metallica were heading. He has been known to take risks but seemingly has nothing to prove: so whats his first solo venture ‘Metal’ like?
The debut 4 tracker kicks off with the single ‘Soldierhead’, a fast Motorhead-esque banger that feels like slipping into a comfy pair of shoes. Newsted himself handles the vocals and it has a slick, modern production. Weirdly I am reminded of late ‘90s/‘00s tragedies Static-X too.
The remainder of the EP (mini album? maxi single?) swings through a few tempo changes reminicent of (ironically) Load/Re-load era Metallica and some of the Voivod albums he played on (minus the discordant guitars). It’s a decent first strike, but let’s hope he can keep the pace up and be thrashin’ like a maniac in future releases.
