Kirk Hammett and Jason Newsted Nearly Took Metallica Into the Blues
Kirk Hammett and Jason Newsted once came close to taking a hard left turn from Metallica’s thrash-metal world. According to a new Guitar Player report, the guitarist and bassist talked about forming a blues band at the height of Metallica’s commercial power. The idea would have paired them with members of Sepultura and Sacred Reich, along with the blues player, John Campbell, who died too young.
It is the kind of detour that sounds unlikely at first. But it also fits the restless instincts that have always shaped great guitar stories. Players who spend years inside one sound often start looking for a different voice. In this case, the pull was toward something stripped back, older, and rooted in feel rather than speed.
A Blues Band That Never Left the Idea Stage
The report says Hammett and Newsted wanted to simplify things and move toward a blues-based project. That alone makes the story notable. Both men were operating inside one of metal’s biggest machines, yet they were thinking about something far more open-ended. Blues can give players room to stretch, react, and phrase differently. It is less about precision and more about conversation.
The lineup concept also matters. Bringing in musicians connected to Sepultura and Sacred Reich suggests the idea was not meant to be a novelty. It could have become a serious side project with real crossover weight. The inclusion of a John Campbell who, unfortunately, died too young adds another layer of lost possibility.
For guitar players, the appeal is easy to understand. Thrash and blues may seem like opposites, but both depend on feel, tone, and attitude. Strip away the distortion and speed, and many metal players still reach for the same essentials: timing, phrasing, and dynamics. A blues project from Hammett and Newsted would have highlighted those basics in a new way.
It also speaks to the creative tension inside established bands. Big success can lock players into expectations. Side projects are often where they test ideas that do not fit the main brand. Even when those ideas never happen, they reveal what the musicians are listening to and what they still want to explore.
A Reminder That Great Ideas Do Not Always Become Records
There is no sign the blues band advanced beyond discussion. Still, the story is a useful reminder that some of the most interesting musical possibilities never make it past the planning stage. Fans often hear only the finished catalog, not the experiments, false starts, or half-formed collaborations that sit behind it.
That is what makes this report compelling. It opens a window onto a different version of Hammett and Newsted, one where Metallica’s rhythm section and guitar voice might have stepped into a looser, older language. Even as an unrealized concept, it adds another layer to both players’ histories.
For guitar fans, these are the kinds of what-ifs that stick. They show how wide a musician’s taste can be, even when the world knows them for one defining sound.
Hmm, this may explain his affinity for the wah? 🤔🤘🏻