According to BlabberMouth :

JAMES HETFIELD: 'The Door Is NOT Open' For JASON To Rejoin METALLICA - Feb. 7, 2003

METALLICA guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield has finally put an end to the speculation that former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted may one day rejoin the group, saying that the "the door is not open" for a reunion with Newsted and insisting the remaining three members of the group "have grown to such a place" since Jason's departure "that we don't think it's feasible" for him to come back to the band. Speaking to California radio station 92 KSJO following Wednesday's press conference in Los Angeles to announce the Summer Sanitarium Tour 2003, Hetfield, guitarist Kirk Hammett and drummer Lars Ulrich touched upon a number of topics, including the ongoing bassist search, the group's upcoming album (titled "St. Anger", due on June 10) and the decision to team up with LINKIN PARK and LIMP BIZKIT for what is certain to be one of the most successful and controversial touring packages of the last few years.

The following are some of the more interesting tidbits from the KSJO interview (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):

On the possibility of Jason coming back to the band:

James: "I like the [use of the] word 'friend' [in reference to Jason], 'cause he is still our friend, and we want that to remain. I think to remain friends, we have to be honest with each other, and I have to say that the door is not open [for him to rejoin METALLICA]. We've grown to such a place that we don't think it's feasible, we don't think it's actually a reality that could happen. We'd love to keep in contact with him and make sure that things stay real, we don't want the press crap that goes on, we want the divorce to be healthy, we want each person to feel good about what they hear and what they express and to be able to get it out right. It's interesting that he said [in interviews following his departure from the group] for me to come and call him [if I wanted him to come back]. I don't know if I was the other two guys if I would be interested in that."

Kirk: "Jason left the band. We didn't throw him out. He quit, and he made that decision unilaterally, without any of our input."

James: "…in front of all three of us."

Lars: "We asked him to reconsider…"

Kirk: "…numerous times"

Lars: "…and he wouldn't."

It doesn't even matter what he says anymore!
I can't fucking stand this little pissant prima-donna WORM for another moment.

I think it all started when I met him at an Anthrax/ Metal Church/ Testament
gig back in the day, when shaking his hand I was struck by its similarity
to that of a petite woman, but most of all struck by the
Immensely Superior-To-Thou condescending LOOK he gave me.
My one and only chance to CRUSH the bones in that hand, and alas it has passed.
Besides, they were still halfway cool back then.

The fire stormed permanently out of control when one day I was
browsing through books of sheet music, and lo and behold -
I stumbled across a manuscript entitled:

The 'Art' of Kirk Hammett

...and it was a book of his guitar solos!!!

WTF!?
Kirk Hammett is the most overrated, one dimensional guitarist EVER.

He uses a Wah in an incessant, feeble attempt to mask the
sad fact that he has been playing the same fucking solo for 20 years, and counting.

FUCK Metallica.

They would have to release the Heaviest, most insanely complex
and innovative metal album OF ALL TIME to regain an ounce of my respect.

Hetfield: "...And we wanna help him through that"

What a JOKE. I think Jason will be fine, King James, Lord of Nothing.

well it's a little late for that,eh!

I have no problem with their success, it's just how they
turned their backs on the hardcore fans by releasing SO MUCH crap,
year after year without ever including just ONE song for us die hards
who swore by songs like 'Fight Fire With Fire'
'The Thing That Should Not Be' and 'Battery',
and supported them during the early years.

On the topic at hand, who gives a fuck eh? Interesting news tidbit, but everytime I see any kind of info from the MET camp, I just get queasy as it always reminds me how far removed from their old fans they have become! I hate feeling this way about Metallica (fuckin' loved 'em when I was younger), but Tangento's point about not even ONE lousy tidbit of thrash, a nod to the old school fans... feels like a slap in the face!

As for their post-And Justice For All material, what I've heard, just seemed boring and unispired to me. It was as if Metallica tried to make the same transformation Corrosion Of Conformity pulled off, but just weren't any good at the straight-ahead rock thing. Now it just seems as if they are totally out of touch and that every move they make is based on demographic research.

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Originally posted by Lycanthropy:
Damn right Mustaine was more talented... who wrote all those great solos on Kill 'em All eh Kirk? For that matter, I've always preferred Megadeth to Metallica... Mustaine's like an all-in-one musician (I said 'like' ).
He writes! He sings! He plays rhythm! He plays lead! He does his arm in after years of heroin injections...

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Originally posted by Marginal:
Taking of megdeth , somebody have listened to '' The World Needs A Hero '' album ? Is it good ?

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I like it a lot...now.

I purchased it the same day the latest TOOL cd came out and listened to the TOOL forst and then the Megadeth cd, which didn't impress at the time because the TOOL album was so damn cool. But after listening to the Megadeth a few time after that, it really grew on me and I like a lot now. There's a couple 'lyrically stupid' song (moto psycho) but overall it a killer cd. It reminds me os the stuff they were doing around "Countdown to Extinction". RUDE AWAKENING is a killer 2cd live set that contains some of there best songs, and a great DVD also.

Dave Mustaine needs a hero (without the -in). I've always loved his work, and it's a real loss for me and the whole metal community if he's 'out of order'. Anyone catch any news of him lately? I remember someone posted a short message from him in which he said his arm is fine and that he is fiddling with his guitars again.

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Originally posted by Väinämöinen:
Because now there's no worry about him not focusing 100% on a certain Canadian four-piece guitar rock and roll orchestra...

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