Who played bass in Metallica’s band lineup on the 1991 Black Album?

Jason Newsted played bass in Metallica’s lineup on the 1991 album commonly called The Black Album.

Newsted joined Metallica in 1986 after the death of the band’s original bassist, Cliff Burton. By the time of the Black Album sessions, he had already performed on ...And Justice for All, although the album is famously associated with a very low or inaudible bass presence in its final mix.

The Black Album’s personnel credits list Newsted on bass, alongside James Hetfield on vocals and rhythm guitar, Kirk Hammett on lead guitar, and Lars Ulrich on drums. Newsted also contributed songwriting ideas during the album’s development.

One example was “My Friend of Misery.” Newsted wrote its main riff, and the song was initially conceived as an instrumental. The finished track became one of the album’s standard songs, giving Newsted a notable compositional connection to the record.