STAIND guitarist Mike Mushok says that there are no plans for the NEWSTED band to regroup for any further touring or recording, explaining that former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted "shut down" the project nearly a year ago.

Jason in February canceled an appearance at Australia's Soundwave festival with NEWSTED, citing "private and personal circumstances." The cancelation followed more than a year of intense touring and promotional activity surrounding the release of NEWSTED's "Metal" EP and follow-up album, "Heavy Metal Music", both of which were positively received by the critics and fans alike.

Mushok, who joined NEWSTED in March 2013 and played on "Heavy Metal Music", told New Jersey's WDHA-FM 105.5 FM radio station in a November 7 interview: "The [NEWSTED] thing really kind of… [Jason] kind of shut it down after we did that run [and] we did that record. So he's kind of just taking a little break now."

He continued: "I think it was… You know, we went out, we did the record, and we did, like, 75 dates around the world in, like… I don't even know… in a really, really quick time, that whole thing did. And it was really just kind of such a whirlwind. And, you know, things have changed since… from back in the day, and I think [Jason] was just… he was happy to get that record out. I know he's still writing music and we still talk, but there's not really any plans as far as that goes today."