What do you do when you've reached the peak of your profession? If you're former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted, you find a new musical mountain to climb.

As previously reported, Newsted's new project Would and Steal has been described as a "mostly acoustic" act — and as he explains in the video below, he opted to go this route because he feels like he's accomplished everything he set out to do in metal.

"I’ve already climbed that mountain," said Newsted. "We got Grammy awards, the Hall of Fame and all those different things. That’s as far as you can go in that kind of music. It’s someone else’s turn to have fun in that music now. I can’t play like Slipknot now. Those guys are heavier and faster than I could ever dream of playing now. This is how I can play, and this is what I’ll do for the rest of time."

Adding that he isn't making music for money at this point, Newsted argued that his current efforts are inspired by classics he thinks anyone can enjoy — but if it doesn't fit some listeners' expectations, he understands.

"Whatever happens in our studio now is what we’re trying to share with anybody that gives a crap," he added. "If they want to share it, that’s cool. If they don’t, and they only like metal, then peace and more power to you. I’m doing this and that’s what’s good for me. I hope everybody else decides what’s good for them. As I play this, I find myself being able to expose myself to more people. I'd say age four to 94 can listen to this music and enjoy it."

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