About Newsted

n October 2012, Jason Newsted, a former member of Metallica, Flotsam and Jetsam, and Voivod, formed the American heavy metal band Newsted (stylized as NEWSTƎD). The lineup included Newsted on lead vocals and bass, drummer Jesus Mendez Jr., guitarist Jessie Farnsworth, and Staind guitarist Mike Mushok. On January 8, 2013, the band released a four-song EP titled Metal, which Newsted recorded before Mushok joined. Additionally the band released their full-length debut album, Heavy Metal Music on August 6, 2013. However, guitarist Mushok revealed that there were no plans for the band to tour or record any further. Moreover, Newsted “shut down” the project in early 2014.

After the news broke out, Newsted disappeared from social media for an extended period. In 2016, he finally broke his silence and clarified his decision to shelve Newsted. He acknowledged that he was trying to take on too much. Furthermore, he said that he had written an entire new record, but it had not been recorded or completed yet. Additionally, he added that the project was not entirely over and that it was currently on the backburner.