Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted said the rumors linking him with Megadeth earlier this year were “interesting for a minute.”

And despite previous comments he made that were interpreted to mean he’d never return to heavy music, Newsted stated he was more than capable, if he ever wanted to make the move.

His name came up after original Megadeth bassist David Ellefson was fired after relations broke down with frontman Dave Mustaine amid a revenge-porn scandal. If Newsted had joined Megadeth, the band would have included two former Metallica members who’d departed in acrimony: Mustaine in 1983 and Newsted in 2001. However, Mustaine recently announced he hired someone else for his band's upcoming album, while former member James LoMenzo would take care of bass duties onstage.

“Wasn't that kind of interesting for a minute? Just that little talk about that,” Newsted said in a recent episode of the Talk Toomey podcast. “I don't know if I would ever do something like that. It's just not in my purview anymore. I'm so busy with other music, and I play all the time with other kinds of people. I like playing the heavy stuff every now and again, but I really enjoy the composition now — different instruments and dimensions to the songs, and three or four voices going, female background vocal and cool shit. It's way more what I'm after now."

You can watch the interview below.

Newsted went on to say that comments reported in April about him no longer having the “physicality” to play heavy music were misinterpreted.

“I want everybody to realize that whoever asked me to come and play bass, and if it was for real, then I would be there to play bass," he explained. “If it was Metallica that asked me to play for that many songs, or that fast or that slow or whatever, then I would go and do it. There's not a thing where I can't do that. ... I was saying that I'm probably not gonna go on tour and do two and a half hours every night with a band anymore. That's not something I'm probably gonna do. It's not that I can't do it.”

Metallica Albums Ranked

There are moments of indecision when compiling this gallery of Metallica Albums, Ranked Worst to Best. After all, we really could have had – for the first time ever – a three-way tie for first.

More From 106.3 The Buzz