Newsted Joins Voivod

Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted has officially joined Canadian metal stalwarts Voivod and will play on and produce the band's next record.

Since leaving Metallica in January 2001 for "private and personal reasons, and the physical damage I've done to myself over the years while playing the music I love," Newsted has busied himself with an array of projects including EchoBrain, a group that began performing in 2001 and released a self-titled album earlier this year. He also produced Second Sight, the third album by Texas hard rockers, Speedealer. Newsted's relationship with Voivod started in 1995, and he had done some writing for the band previously.

After fourteen years as the "new guy" in Metallica, Newsted has already earned his Voivod nickname -- "Jasonic" -- joining singer Denis "Snake" Belanger, guitarist Denis "Piggy" D'Amour and drummer Michael "Away" Langevin. The group has pulled together an unlucky thirteen tracks to record for their thirteenth album, The Multiverse, which they will begin recording next week and into November. A spring 2003 release is planned on Newsted's Chophouse Records (through Surfdog Records).

"This is the new beginning for all of us," Newsted said. "We're the same age, raised on the same music. We've been through a lot of similar situations. All four of us are having such a good time writing our metal music together, in one room -- bashing it out, it's real again!"

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Song Stories

“Youth Knows No Pain”

Lykke Li | 2011

“Like on 'Youth Knows No Pain' — we are the ones that should demonstrate, because we can take it,” Likke Li said. “We can pierce ourselves, take Ecstasy, dance all night and still go to work at our McDonald's jobs.” Despite the hedonistic sentiment in the song, the Swedish singer also admitted in hindsight her youth had repercussions. “I remember when I was 18-19 and feeling that I know it all,” Li said. “I always feel that I know it all. But that song is about realizing you don’t, and reflecting, ‘Boy, if I only knew what would follow.’”

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