Which instrument did Jason Newsted play on Metallica’s The Black Album?

Jason Newsted played bass guitar on Metallica’s The Black Album.

Newsted joined Metallica in 1986 after the death of bassist Cliff Burton. By the time the band recorded its 1991 self-titled album, he was an established member alongside James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and Kirk Hammett. His bass role provided the low-end foundation beneath the album’s tightly arranged rhythm guitars and drums.

The Black Album is sometimes discussed in connection with Newsted’s limited audible presence on ...And Justice for All, whose mix famously placed little emphasis on bass. The 1991 record presented a fuller, more audible low end, although the album’s production still centered strongly on Hetfield’s rhythm guitar sound and Ulrich’s drums.

Newsted remained Metallica’s bassist through the touring cycle and later studio albums, leaving the band in 2001. Robert Trujillo eventually became his successor. That later change can cause confusion when listeners look back at the lineup, but Newsted is the bassist credited on The Black Album.