Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted recently weighed in on what songs from the band’s catalog he thinks would translate well into country music. The comments came during an interview on Rolling Stone Nashville Now.
When asked — aside from “Nothing Else Matters” — which Metallica song he thought would make a good country song, Newsted offered a thoughtful and wide-ranging answer.
“Well, you know, the ‘Mama Said’ thing that James did already, he had a cowboy hat on in the video,” Newsted said. “So that already leans that way, so it’s too obvious. But if you’re talking about pulling one that isn’t flavored that way, and to get it to that place, boy, that could be interesting and it be fun.”
Newsted then reflected on the long history of Metallica tribute and cover recordings before narrowing in on his personal pick.
“Yeah, going through, I’m going through the lyrics right now, but. You know, there has been so many different instrumentation mixes of tribute records or singles or things for how many ever decades,” he continued. “One of the very first ones was Fade to Bluegrass, right? And it was, I mean, maybe late 80s even, way the hell back.”
“And there’s been things as far as, like, Apocalyptica that play giant concerts playing Metallica on their violas and cellos,” Newsted added. “Interpretations of so many different people, so many different countries and walks and instruments and stuff of the songs. I don’t know that there’s one that hasn’t been taken to those places.”
Ultimately, Newsted said he would gravitate toward the band’s faster, more aggressive material as a creative challenge.
“But I think it would be, if it was up to me to do it, I would have to go through, I want to go for something super fast and challenging, and make it still that way but not as distorted or amplified,” he said. “So if it was Battery, Fight Fire with Fire, you know, something that really moves, something that [mimics music]… That could be really cool because of the challenge part of it. It might be a little bit easier to do stuff that was more, you know, mainstreamy, easier to do it, you know.”
The interview touched on the crossover between Southern rock, metal, and country music. Newsted’s current musical activities place him squarely at the intersection of hard rock and Americana, making his perspective on Metallica’s country potential all the more credible.
Newsted is currently on his first-ever headlining national solo tour with his Chophouse Band. The project blends bluegrass, folk, soul, and Americana into a roots-driven sound. The band’s sets are covers-heavy, drawing from a wide range of influences that reflect Newsted’s deep appreciation for American roots music.
The Chophouse Band performs a rootsy, stripped-down rendition of Bob Seger’s “Turn the Page.” Metallica famously covered the same song during Newsted’s tenure on their 1998 album Garage Inc. The Chophouse version leans far closer to Seger’s original country-rock spirit than Metallica’s thunderous adaptation, serving as a natural bridge between Newsted’s two musical worlds.
His immersion in the Southern rock and country space has also extended to live collaborations. On July 9, 2026, Newsted joined Atlanta country rock outfit Blackberry Smoke on stage at Greenfield Lake Amphitheater in Wilmington, North Carolina, for a cover of Thin Lizzy’s “Jailbreak.” The appearance underscored the growing rapport between Newsted and the country rock community.
The Chophouse Band’s setlists also include a brief snippet of “Creeping Death,” woven into a rendition of Mark Twain’s “The War Prayer.” Full Metallica originals remain largely absent from the set. The subtle references signal that Newsted has never fully left his past behind — he has simply found new ways to carry it forward.
Source: Rolling Stone Nashville Now
