Ex-METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted has praised the group's new song and has hinted at reconnecting with his former bandmates on a future project.

METALLICA earlier in the month released the track "Hardwired", the first single from the group's upcoming tenth studio album, "Hardwired...To Self-Destruct", which will be made available on November 18 via Blackened Recordings.

Asked during an appearance on the August 29 edition of the SiriusXM satellite radio show "Eddie Trunk Live" if he has heard "Hardwired", Newsted said: "I can't believe how wicked it is. I heard it a couple of times. Somebody played it for me in a car, and I brought it home and listened to it a little bit. I like its nature. I like its teeth, man. It's great."

Newsted also confirmed that he is still in regular contact with the members of METALLICA. He said: "I've got a call with Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer] coming up on Thursday here. I've been talking to him every couple of weeks. As they're coming out with their new record, there's a lot of stuff going on within the underpinnings of it all, or whatever you wanna call it, so we always are in touch. And now we've actually been doing voice-to-voice, which is nice, and I'm hoping to be able to get person-to-person before long. But they do have quite a bit to do here with this new record. So I'm excited for 'em, man. I'm proud of 'em."

Asked if he is still in touch with METALLICA simply as friends or if it's related to "business stuff" or if they are talking about possibly doing something together again, Newsted responded: "All those three." Jason, however, would not elaborate on the exact form a possible new collaboration with METALLICA would take.

Jason left METALLICA back in 2001 but was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, along with Ulrich, guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield, guitarist Kirk Hammett, and the man who replaced him, bassist Robert Trujillo, in 2009.

Newsted's latest endeavor is a pair of acoustic groups, including the CHOPHOUSE BAND (named after his four recording studio facilities around the U.S. and featuring a fluid roster of players), which has several shows scheduled in early September.