Newsted opens up new RELOAD box set

[romanianreaper]

Yeah Outlaw Torn has really grown on me recently. It has more of an impact now than when it first came out.

I think James has always had the most pressure out of any other member to be "the guy". A lot of pressure, especially when drinking has always been there.

 

[thegame]

The older I get the longer it takes me to Reload

 

[JimAnsell2]

it totally kills the vibe.

no it doesn't. you're probably uncomfortable watching it because you're used to cliff and jasons presence, and i get that.
however super fans and old schoolers that weren't frightened by their progression are going to feel differently. Rob was the best choice hands down. so cal dude, has plenty of credibility before, chops of steel, endless energy, gets the crowd engaged, seasoned touring vet, etc. no one "known" would fit better imo. a "nobody" or some you tuber would never work for a band at this level. Not only are you metallicas bass player, but you're 25% face of a major BRAND. you have to act accordingly. They're an entity on the level of a major sports team. you can be in some band like Testament or Death Angel and fuck up (i.e be addicted, be wasted at a gig, write a shitty social media post, etc) and a few thousand people MIGHT care... in METALLICA its a bigger news and can effect a lot of money.

who would fit the bill better?

 

[TheGreatGreen]

no it doesn't. you're probably uncomfortable watching it because you're used to cliff and jasons presence, and i get that.
however super fans and old schoolers that weren't frightened by their progression are going to feel differently. Rob was the best choice hands down. so cal dude, has plenty of credibility before, chops of steel, endless energy, gets the crowd engaged, seasoned touring vet, etc. no one "known" would fit better imo. a "nobody" or some you tuber would never work for a band at this level. Not only are you metallicas bass player, but you're 25% face of a major BRAND. you have to act accordingly. They're an entity on the level of a major sports team. you can be in some band like Testament or Death Angel and fuck up (i.e be addicted, be wasted at a gig, write a shitty social media post, etc) and a few thousand people MIGHT care... in METALLICA its a bigger news and can effect a lot of money.

who would fit the bill better?

No man, I'm not "uncomfortable" watching the band because I wish the bass player was Cliff or Jason. I'm not "frightened" by Metallica's progression. I like Load and some of Reload. I like Garage Inc. I liked their S&M album. I don't like Death Magnetic because the production is embarrassingly horrific and James' guitar tone has been weak splatty garbage from that moment right through 72 Seasons, and he writes lyrics like a 14 year old edgelord now.

What I also don't like is watching Rob on stage squat walking around like a retarded gorilla. My dog does a squatting slow walk when he shits in the yard. Without exaggeration Rob moves around almost exactly like that. It's hilarious... when my dog does it. Not so great at $200 a ticket or whatever Metallica shows are going for these days. It's so stupid and distracting that I honestly don't care how good of a bass player he is, or that he's a good flamenco player or whatever.

I wouldn't care if he was the the last bass player on earth, he still looks like a goofy annoying dork walking around on stage like that. It absolutely destroys the vibe.

On some level I think you’re right that he was the best guy for the job though. I remember watching the auditions, and my god it was just an endless procession of assholes squandering the biggest opportunity of their lives. “Oh I’m auditioning for Metallica? Alright how about I just vibe it out and pretend I’ve never heard anything they’ve done and that all of their songs aren’t constructed out of specific riffs you kinda need to know how to play beforehand. Ent… Enter S… Sandman, is that what the song is called?? Don’t mind me I’m just plugged in and have been given the opportunity to play bass for Metallica, here I am looking like a lost kid at a bus station.” So yeah in that sense Rob was by far the most prepped and ready already-a-rock-star dude they could get. I don’t have anything personal against the guy, he seems like a good enough dude, i just wish he wouldn’t squat around on stage like that. It doesn’t fit the music or the band.

 

[rstites]

This thread reminds me of how I still think of Load and Re-Load as new Metallica where they've changed their sound, and yet they're 30 years old now! I don't hate these albums, but also probably haven't listened to either since the 90's.

 

[DrewJD82]

To give some credit to @TheGreatGreen, I completely associate Rob joining the band with the 'fun' era of Metallica and his stage presence is a part of that. It's the fun for the whole family Metallica show. It's still a great fucking show, but I wasn't going to see them in '24 expecting to see an intense metal show and while I was definitely listening to his playing, visually I was locked on the 3 other dudes unless Rob happened to walk in front of them.

No dis to him, he holds it down like a beast, but that squatin' shit's more like dancing with the grandkids than it is playing bass in the biggest metal band on the planet.

Newstead, with the biggest shit eating grin on his face and youthful joy, was still somehow decidedly 'metal' the whole time he was onstage.

 

[romanianreaper]

I never really got into Jason for some reason. I actually like Rob in the band more than Jason. Nothing against the guy, I think I was such a Cliff guy that Jason didn't have that presence.

I think I'm one of those weird guys that has liked Metallica from the beginning to 72 Seasons. Instead of writing off any project, I have tried to find some type of positive. The Load album confused me when it came out but needed to happen. I respected them changing even though I struggled with it. St. Anger was at least music by them when I thought they might be done.