Primus is an American alternative metal band formed in the mid-1980s. At the origins of the group is the talented vocalist and bass player Les Claypool. The regular guitarist is Larry Lalonde.
Throughout their creative career, the team managed to work with several drummers. But he recorded compositions only with a trio: Tim "Herb" Alexander, Brian "Bryan" Mantia and Jay Lane.
History of group creation
The band's first name was Primate. Formed in El Sobrante, California in the mid-1980s by Les Claypool and guitarist Todd Hut.
Les and Todd used a drum machine they called the Perm Parker. The new team changed drummers like gloves. At first, the Primus group performed "on heating" for the bands Testament and Exodus. This contributed to the fact that fans of heavy music began to be interested in the work of the guys.
In 1989, all but Claypool left Primus. Soon the musician assembled a new line-up. It included Larry Lalonde (former Possessed guitarist and student of Joe Satriani) and eclectic drummer Tim Alexander.
The band's musical style
Critics agreed that the band's musical style is very difficult to define. Usually, they describe the musicians' playing as funk metal or alternative metal. The band members refer to their work as thrash funk.
Les Claypool stated in an interview that he plays "psychedelic polka" with the guys. Interestingly, Primus is the only team for which there is a personal style in the ID3 tag.
Thrash funk and punk funk is a borderline music genre. It appeared as a result of the weighting of traditional funk rock. Allmusic described the genre as follows: "Thrash funk emerged in the mid-1980s, when bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fishbone, and Extreme created a strong funk foundation in metal."
Music by Primus
In 1989, the group's discography was replenished with the first disc. We are talking about the album Suckon This. The compilation is a recording from several concerts in Berkeley. Les Claypool's father was in charge of financing the album. It cannot be said that this work aroused considerable interest among music lovers. But the record helped the guys stand out among fans of heavy music.
But the studio disc Frizzle Fry appeared on the music shelves only a year later. Entry into the big scene was so successful that Primus signed a contract with Interscope Records.
With the support of the label, the guys expanded their discography with another album, Sailing the Seas of Cheese. As a result, the disc reached the so-called "gold" status. Video clips of the band appeared on MTV. In support of the mentioned record, the musicians went on tour.
The album Pork Soda, which was released in 1993, deserves considerable attention. The album took an honorable 7th position in the top 10 charts of Billboard Magazine. Long-awaited popularity fell upon the musicians.
The peak of the popularity of the group Primus
In the early 1990s, the creative career of the Primus group reached the pinnacle of the musical Olympus. The collective headlined the alternative festival Lollapalooza in 1993. In addition, the guys appeared on television. They were called to the David Letterman and Conan O'Brien show in 1995.
Around the same time period, Primus brought live performances to Woodstock '94 audiences. The album Tales from the Punchbowl contains the track Wynona's Big Brown Beaver, the band's most successful composition. The song was nominated for the prestigious Grammy Award.
In the mid-1990s, Primus recorded compositions for the popular animated series South Park. As it turned out, the creators of the cartoon were fans of the group's work.
A little later, the musicians recorded the track Mephis to And Kevin for the Chef Aid: The South Park Album associated with the series. In addition, the South Park DVDA team recorded a cover version of Primus Sgt. Baker.
In the early 2000s, Primus, featuring Ozzy Osbourne, released a cover version of the song by Black Sabbath NIB. In addition to being released as a single, the song was included on the tribute album Nativity in Black II: A Tribute to Black Sabbat and in boxing Osborne's Prince of Darkness set. The presented composition took an honorable 2nd position on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
Breakup of Primus
In the same period of time, Les Claypool began to create outside the collective. Fans were less and less interested in the work of the Primus group. This made the musicians think for the first time about disbanding the band.
The Primus group came together only in 2003. The musicians met again in the recording studio to record the DVD / EP Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People. After recording the record, the guys went on tour, and later rarely teamed up to perform at festivals.
Some performances of the group, starting from 2003, consist of several branches. The second of them included all the material from one of the first albums.
In the same period of time, the musicians re-recorded Sailing the Seas of Cheese (1991) and Frizzle Fry (1990). At the same time, Claypool's discography was replenished with several solo albums. We are talking about the collections: Of Whales and Woe and Of Fungi and Foe.
The return of Primus to the stage
The year 2010 began for Primus fans with good news. The fact is that Les Claypool spoke about the fact that the Primus group is returning to the scene. In addition, the musicians did not return empty-handed, but with a full-fledged studio album. The record was called Green Naugahyde.
In support of the release of the new album, the musicians went on a short tour. The musicians were joyfully greeted by the fans, in fact, as was the release of the Green Naugahyde record.
Interesting facts about the Primus group
- Les Claypool's playing has been influenced by musicians such as Larry Graham, Chris Squire, Tony Levine, Geddy Lee and Paul McCartney. Initially, he wanted to be like these celebrities, but then he created an individual style.
- At the band's concerts, the "fans" chanted the phrase Primus sucks! And, by the way, the musicians did not consider such cries an insult. There are several versions of such a reaction to the appearance of idols on stage. According to one of them, the slogan came from one of the Suckon This records.
- Les wanted to try his hand at the legendary band Metallica, but his playing did not impress the musicians.
- In the late 1980s, Claypool recruited Larry Lalonde as a guitarist for Primus. The musician was once a member of one of the first American death metal bands Possessed.
- The "trick" of the team is still considered to be the eccentric style of play and the image of Les Kleipnula.
The Primus team today
In 2017, the band's discography was replenished with The Desaturating Seven. The new album was equally warmly received by fans and music critics. In total, the collection includes 7 tracks. Considerable attention, according to the "fans", deserve the compositions: The Trek, The Storm and The Scheme.
This disc caused a real sensation among fans of the rock band. Many have expressed the opinion that Primus showed the game in the best traditions of metal.
In 2020, the musicians planned to organize the Tribute to King's tour. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, some performances had to be canceled or rescheduled for 2021. Primus' official website says:
“This is the third disappointment… we have postponed the Tribute to King's tour several times. Once because we decided to help retire Slayer, and once because Mother Nature decided to isolate us all with a nasty virus. Let's hope 2021 brings us all together in some form. As for touring, it would be nice to be back in the saddle again…”
