‘What they hated the most was that he was a fan’ – Metallica producer thinks this might be why Jason Newsted’s bass is inaudible on ‘Justice’

“…And Justice for All” producer Flemming Rasmussen suggested that Metallica “hated” Jason Newsted because “he was a fan”, and speculated that they intentionally made his bass inaudible as a means of getting a reaction out of him.

The thrash giants’ fourth studio album was a major milestone in the band’s career for several reasons. The exceptionally strong outing served as proof that Metallica were figҺting like lions against the pаin of losing their friend, bandmate, and mentor-figure Cliff Burton and had no intention of throwing the towel in, while it also introduced Jason Newsted to the fold, who handled bass duties through what would become the band’s commercial breakthrough with “Metallica” (a.k.a. “The Black Album”).

And while “…And Justice for All” bristled with memorable material, Newsted’s bass playing was infamously all but inaudible, and the album’s producer, Flemming Rasmussen, has a theory on why it turned out that way.

Rasmussen, who also produced “Master of Puppets” and “Ride the Lightning”, speculated in a recent interview with Daniel Sarkissian in a new interview that Lars Ulrich & Co. might have intentionally muted their bandmates’ bass to prоvоke a reaction (via Metal Injection):

“I think — but this is purely speculation — I think that they did it to get some kind of reaction from Jason. Because what they hated the most about Jason was that he was a fan.”

“He was never disagreeing or anything, or stating his own opinion. I think they were waiting for him to kind of state his place in the band… I think they probably did it to get a reaction, and when it didn’t come, that was the way the album turned out.”