This week ex-Metallica bassist Jason Newsted finally returned to the metal universe and dropped a huge atomic hit in the process with the release of his Metal EP.

This spectacular EP contains four brutal tracks with Jason on lead vocal and bass duties. The new songs “Soldierhead,” “Godsnake,” “King of the Underdogs,” and “Skyscraper” are all delightfully heavy and well-structured bangers.

While every second of this album is fantastic, the best moments are: Jason’s wicked bass breakdown in “Soldierhead,” the Black Sabbath-esque guitar riff in “Skyscraper,” and the overall groove structure of “Godsnake.”

Everyone knows that Newsted isn’t a classically trained frontman, however his performance on the mic complements the music perfectly – he is aggressive, yet very clear. There is an art to pulling this off properly. Many of the newer acts fail here, and should take Newsted’s lesson to heart.

Prior to the release, Newsted provided studio updates via his official Facebook page and received lots of fan support.

Although the year is young, “Metal” EP is the best offering to heavy music so far. You might as well pick it up for a measly $3.99 on iTunes.