Former METALLICA / VOIVOD bassist Jason Newsted and his new "heavy band", NEWSTED, will be releasing a four-song EP, entitled Metal, on January 8th, exclusively via iTunes. He recently spoke with Brandon Marshall at Sonic Excess; an excerpt from the interview is available below:

Sonic Excess: Welcome back! The metal word has missed Jason Newsted. Every couple of years, you come up with a new project or collaboration, and then we don’t hear from you. Are you back for good, and is the band Newsted a full-time project?

Newsted: "(Laughs) I’m always back for good and better! Newsted is the project that’s happening now, I would like to see it grow, get somewhere of course, and be able to share it with everyone who wants to share it with me. It has been a lot of years coming. It’s ready for me, and I’m finally ready for it. I never thought I was going to put my name on a project; I’ve always come up with cool enough band names. We did it with this, and I’m very proud of it. Things are lining up very well, and I’m hoping to take it out to the people live next year."

Sonic Excess: Before a release, do you enjoy the excitement and anticipation surrounding it, or do you want it out to the masses ASAP?

Newsted: "Well, it has been a long time since I really went deep into it like this. I did the PAPA WHEELIE thing and some Voivod stuff, OZZY and some different things, but it was never quite like this, where it was all me and all on me. So, the enthusiasm is through the roof, and it doesn’t hurt that there is so much positive vibrations coming back at me from around the globe. Karmically, I feel very victorious."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

Pre-orders for Metal began on Tuesday, December 18th. The tracklisting is as follows:

'Soldierhead'

'Godsnake'

'King Of The Underdogs'

'Skyscraper'

Head to iTunes here to pre-order the EP, and hear 90-second audio samples of all tracks.

Says Jason: "By purchasing all four tracks you will receive a copy of my handwritten lyrics!"

'Soldierhead' can be heard on YouTube below. Updates to follow. More on Newsted at this location.