Rоb Trujillo Asserts ‘Few Bassists’ Could Handle His Role in Metallica; Praises Jason Newsted’s Simplistic Yet Effective Style

In a recent interview with Bass Player, Robert Trujillo discussed the immense challenges he faced upon joining Metallica, emphasizing that few bassists could handle the demands of his role over the past 23 years.

Trujillo stepped into Metallica during one of the band’s most turbulent periods, joining legendary musicians and following in the footsteps of predecessors who had already made significant contributions to the band’s iconic studio albums. Despite the pressure, Trujillo has proven himself capable.

For many fans, it’s hard to picture anyone other than the former Ozzy Osbourne and Suicidаl Tendencies bassist in Metallica. In his interview, Trujillo candidly stated:

“I feel like I’ve had so many challenges. You know, I live in Los Angeles, but since I joined the band, I’ve been spending more time in the Bay Area, and I actually really like it. Los Angeles has become so overpopulated and blown out. San Francisco has such a nice balance, almost like a funky ’70s flavor to it. The way LA used to be back in the Cheech & Chong days!”

“But the biggest challenge has been with my bass playing. I’m not being disrespectful to all the bass players out there, but there aren’t many bassists that could do this job. Playing with Metallica is the most demanding gig there is.”

Trujillo also expressed high regard for his predecessors, acknowledging that their contributions have made his role more challenging. Speaking about the late Cliff Burton, he said:

“Cliff was amazing for Metallica. His ideas, his presence, and where he was taking the bass and taking metal, were so special. And his stage presence – he was such a physical player. He played what he felt, and that was the bottom line. His approach was, ‘I’m gonna play what I feel, and if you don’t like it, scrеw you!’”

“He used to ask Kirk to show him Lynyrd Skynyrd guitar solos so he could play them on bass, and not many bass guitar players were doing that back then. I thought that was so cool. Cliff was a force on a lot of different levels.”

Trujillo also praised Jason Newsted, who often doesn’t receive as much acclaim as Burton:

“I really appreciate Jason Newsted. Considering he’s a pick player, and the speed and dexterity involved in this music, I think it’s a tall order. But he was really keeping it and holding it down, keeping it solid – more simple than Cliff, but in a good way.”

“I love the fact that we’re all different. We all have our thing that we’ve brought to the band, but I also have my own style and I like to express that.”

With these comments, Trujillo underscored the unique qualities each bassist has brought to Metallica, while highlighting the distinct challenges he continues to navigate in his role.