Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted is making his much-anticipated and much-needed return to the metal scene with his eponymous new project. The musician has been making the press rounds as of late and admitted an addiction to painkillers that stemmed from a shoulder injury that nearly 86ed his career.

Back in 2006, Newsted was seriously injured in a freak accident where he attempted to catch a bass amp. He wretched both of his shoulders and underwent multiple surgeries and participated in several years of physical therapy in order to regain the use of his hands.

During his recovery period, he became addicted to prescription painkillers, which is not uncommon in this scenario.

"When I had my shoulder surgeries, they took over a three-and-a-half to four-year span, back and forth, left shoulder, right shoulder, left shoulder, right shoulder," Newsted revealed to the Great Falls Tribune, a local newspaper in Montana. "With complete bicep tears and rotator cuff tears and very ugly rehab and therapy. Painkiller addiction, the whole deal."

Ouch. Our shoulders ache just thinking about it.

Newsted eventually triumphed over his pill habit and began using art as an alternative method of healing and therapy. He shared, "I only had one arm at a time, so I started painting. Now, I can use both hands equally for everything. That's how the art came. I had to have something to do because I could not play my instrument."

When one window closes, another opens. Newsted is proof it doesn't matter which hand you use to pry it open!

Rockers Who've Returned After Serious Accidents

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