Flemming Rasumussen, who co-produced Metallica’s …And Justice For All record with the group, praised bassist Jason Newsted's work for the release in an interview with Rolling Stone. Fans have long bemoaned the apparent absence of bass guitar on the band's 1988 album.

"Jason is one hell of a bass player," the producer says. "I'm probably one of the only people in the world, including Jason and Toby Wright, the assistant engineer, who heard the bass tracks on …And Justice For All, and they are fucking brilliant."

Rasmussen went on to say he still doesn't know why the tracks were "nixed in the mix”, as the mixing duo Steve Thompson and Michael Barbiero had been attached to the project prior to his arrival. "It's not on them, that's for sure," the producer says. "It was Lars and James who said to turn the bass down. I know that for a fact because I asked them."

Read the full story at RollingStone.com.

Metallica has announced that they will reissue their first two albums Kill 'Em All and Ride The Lightning on April 15th.  Both albums have been remastered for the most advanced sound quality and will be available in three formats - CD, vinyl, and Deluxe Box set. Both Deluxe Box sets include original source material from the band's personal collection with many never before heard or seen recordings, along with a book including rare photos and essays from those who were there.

“Motorhead” and a cover of Diamond Head’s “Am I Evil?”, recorded on March 15th, 1985 at the Kabuki Theatre in San Francisco is streaming below. The tracks are a part of the Ride The Lightning reissue in a CD containing a previously unreleased concert at the Kabuki Theatre.

The deluxe numbered box set of Kill 'Em All includes four vinyl records, five CDs, one DVD, a deluxe book including rare photos and a patch while the deluxe numbered box set of Ride the Lightning includes four vinyl records, six CDs, one DVD, a deluxe book including more of those unseen photos, a mini-book of lyrics handwritten by James Hetfield and a set of three posters. The Deluxe Box sets are limited edition collectors' items.

Fans can preorder both Deluxe Box sets at the Met Store now and all six new items will, of course, also be available at your local record store on Friday, April 15th, just in time for Record Store Day.

Kill ‘Em All tracklisting:

CD/Vinyl
“Hit The Lights”
“The Four Horsemen”
“Motorbreath”
“Jump In The Fire”
“(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth”
“Whiplash”
“Phantom Lord”
“No Remorse”
“Seek & Destroy”
“Metal Militia”

Vinyl – Live At Espace Balard, Paris, France – February 9th, 1984 (2LP) – Previously Unreleased
“The Ecstasy Of Gold”
“Hit The Lights”
“The Four Horsemen”
“Jump In The Fire”
“Phantom Lord”
“No Remorse”
“Ride The Lightning”
“Motorbreath”
“(Anaesthesia) – Pulling Teeth”
“Whiplash”
“Seek & Destroy”
“Metal Militia”

“Phantom Lord”:

Vinyl – Jump In The Fire (Picture Disc)
“Jump In The Fire”
“Seek & Destroy” (“Live” at The Automatt)
“Phantom Lord” (“Live” at The Automatt)

CD – Interview & Radio IDs
Metal Forces Interview with Lars, January 1984
Radio IDs with Lars, James, and Cliff from 1984

CD – Rough Mixes From Lars’ Vault, Bootleg Tracks and Whiplash Remix EP
“Motorbreath” (Rough Mix)
“Hit The Lights” (Rough Mix)
“(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth” (Rough Mix)
“Seek & Destroy” (Rough Mix)
“Whiplash” (Rough Mix)
“The Four Horsemen” (Rough Mix)
“Seek & Destroy” (NOT Live from The Automatt)
“Phantom Lord” (NOT Live from The Automatt)
“Jump In The Fire”
“Whiplash” (Special Neckbrace Remix)
“Seek & Destroy” (“Live” at The Automatt)
“Phantom Lord” (“Live” at The Automatt)

CD – Live At J Bees Rock III, Middletown, NY – January 20th, 1984 – Previously Unreleased
“The Four Horsemen”
“Jump In The Fire”
“Fight Fire With Fire”
“Ride The Lightning”
“Phantom Lord”
“Seek & Destroy”
“Whiplash”

CD – Live At The Keystone, Palo Alto, CA – October 31st, 1983 – Previously Unreleased
“Hit The Lights”
“The Four Horsemen”
“Jump In The Fire”
“Fight Fire With Fire”
“Ride The Lightning”
“Phantom Lord”
“When Hell Freezes Over (The Call Of Ktulu)”
“Seek & Destroy”
“(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth”
“Whiplash”
“Creeping Death”
Guitar Solo
“Metal Militia”

DVD – Metallica Live At The Metro In Chicago On August 12th, 1983 – Previously Unreleased Except “No Remorse” and “Metal Milita”
“Hit The Lights” (Video Only/No Audio)
“The Four Horsemen” (Video Only/No Audio)
“Jump In The Fire” (Video Only/Partial Audio)
“Phantom Lord”
“No Remorse”
“(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth”
“Whiplash”
“Seek & Destroy”
Guitar Solo
“Metal Militia”

Ride The Lightning tracklisting:

CD/Vinyl
“Fight Fire With Fire”
“Ride The Lightning”
“For Whom The Bell Tolls”
“Fade To Black”
“Trapped Under Ice”
“Escape”
“Creeping Death”
“The Call Of Ktulu”

Vinyl – Live At The Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, CA – March 10th, 1985 (2LP) – Previously Unreleased
“The Ecstasy Of Gold”
“Fight Fire With Fire”
“Ride The Lightning”
“Phantom Lord”
“(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth”
“For Whom The Bell Tolls”
“No Remorse”
“Fade To Black”
“Seek & Destroy”
“Creeping Death”
“Am I Evil?”
“Motorbreath”

Vinyl – Creeping Death (Picture Disc)
“Creeping Death”
“Am I Evil?”
“Blitzkrieg”

CD – Metallica Interviews
Metal Forces Interview with Lars, November 1984
WUSC Cleveland Radio Interview with Cliff and Kirk – February 1985
Metal Madness Interview with Lars, March 1985

CD – Demos And Rough Mixes From Lars’ Vault – Previously Unreleased
“Ride The Lightning” (Studio Demo)
“When Hell Freezes Over (The Call Of Ktulu)” (Studio Demo)
“Creeping Death” (Studio Demo)
“Fight Fire With Fire” (Studio Demo)
“Ride The Lightning” (Garage Demo)
“When Hell Freezes Over (The Call Of Ktulu)” (Garage Demo)
“Fight Fire With Fire” (Garage Demo)
“Ride The Lightning” (Boom Box Demo)
“Blitzkrieg” (Rhythm Track Rough Mix)
“Am I Evil?” (Rhythm Track Rough Mix)

“Ride The Lightning” (Garage Demo):

CD – Live At Kabuki Theatre, San Francisco, CA – March 15th, 1985 – Previously Unreleased
“Fight Fire With Fire”
“Ride The Lightning”
“Phantom Lord”
“The Four Horsemen”
“(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth”)
“For Whom The Bell Tolls”
“No Remorse”
“Fade To Black”
“Creeping Death”
Guitar Solo
“Am I Evil?”
“Motorbreath”

CD – Live At The Lyceum Theatre, London, UK – December 20th, 1984
“Phantom Lord”
“The Four Horsemen”
“(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth”
“For Whom The Bell Tolls”
“No Remorse”
“The Call Of Ktulu”
“Seek & Destroy”
“Whiplash”
“Creeping Death”
Guitar Solo
“Metal Militia”

CD – Live At Castle Donington, UK – August 17th, 1985 – Previously Unreleased
“Creeping Death”
“Ride The Lightning”
“For Whom The Bell Tolls”
“The Four Horsemen”
“Fade To Black”
“Seek & Destroy”
“Whiplash”
“Motorbreath”

DVD – Live At The Metal Hammer Festival In St. Goarshausen, Germany – September 14th, 1985
“Creeping Death”
“Ride The Lightning”
“Disposable Heroes”
“No Remorse”
“(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth”
“For Whom The Bell Tolls”
“The Four Horsemen”
“Fade To Black”
“Seek & Destroy”
“Whiplash”
“Fight Fire With Fire”
Guitar Solo
“Am I Evil?”
“Motorbreath”

Live At MTV’s Day On The Green At Oakland Stadium, Oakland, CA – August 31st, 1985
“Creeping Death”
“Ride The Lightning”
“For Whom The Bell Tolls”
MTV Day On The Green Interview with Lars and James

Danish TV – Previously Unreleased
Lars Ulrich When He Was Young (Lars’ first television interview)
SPOT – Lars Ulrich