PRIMUS has announced a limited-edition seven-inch vinyl release for their latest single, “Little Lord Fentanyl”, which will feature a newly recorded live version of “Duchess (And The Proverbial Mind Spread) – Live From The Mann Music Center, Philadelphia, PA” as the B-side, available now on all digital platforms. Pre-orders for the seven-inch vinyl — available in burgundy, gold, grey and white vinyl variants — are live now, with physical copies set to be available on the road as the band kicks off their “Onward & Upward” summer tour in early July, and at retail starting August 15.
Originally recorded for the “Brown Album” in 1998, “Duchess (And The Proverbial Mind Spread)” gets new life in this live version captured during the band’s recent Philadelphia performance. The track features the dynamic drumming of John Hoffman, PRIMUS‘s latest addition, following the band’s “Interstellar Drum Derby” search.
In the course of the search, Hoffman was the only one who chose to play “Duchess (And the Proverbial Mind Spread)”. His preparation paid off and was soon pressure-tested on the road. “He’s the only one that picked it, and he fucking killed it,” recalls PRIMUS frontman Les Claypool. Hoffman‘s command of the song and chemistry with the band can be heard on this new live recording.
Available now in limited quantities, the seven-inch marks a special physical release for “Little Lord Fentanyl”, PRIMUS‘s first new song in over three years and their debut studio recording with Hoffman. Featuring a guest vocal from Maynard James Keenan (TOOL, A PERFECT CIRCLE, PUSCIFER),the track has earned acclaim as “transgressive and comforting at the same time” (Stereogum) and “pure brain-melting oddness” (Metal Hammer).
With Hoffman now behind the kit, PRIMUS is poised for a busy summer. The band just wrapped the “Sessanta” tour alongside A PERFECT CIRCLE and PUSCIFER, and will launch their “Onward & Upward” headline run on July 5 in Paso Robles, California, hitting 24 cities nationwide with support from Ty Segall and MonoNeon.
“This fiery, cheerful, octopus-like drummer from Shreveport, Louisiana has breathed a very potent breath of freshness into this band we all call PRIMUS,” Claypool said in a recent statement. “Come see why this amazing fellow was able to rise above over 6,100 applicants to win the ‘Interstellar Drum Derby’ and become the latest, and possibly the greatest, drummer to sit on the PRIMUS drum throne.”
On December 30, 2024, PRIMUS played the first concert since longtime drummer Tim “Herb” Alexander‘s departure at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California. Sitting behind the drums for the show was Bryan “Brain” Mantia, who previously played with PRIMUS when Alexander originally left the band in 1996.
In light of Alexander‘s latest departure, PRIMUS also enlisted musicians from frontman Les Claypool‘s side projects, THE HOLY MACKEREL and FROG BRIGADE, to perform during the December 30 performance.
With Mantia, PRIMUS recorded two studio albums — “Brown Album” (1997) and “Antipop” (1999) — as well as the covers EP “Rhinoplasty” (1998) and the original theme song for the TV show “South Park”.
In November, Alexander shared a letter with Rolling Stone magazine explaining his decision to leave the band.
“A lot of times, you do something you love for a long time, and sometimes the passion turns into a job, and sometimes that job doesn’t feel like it’s your being anymore,” he said.
He reflected on the impact his decision had on his physical, mental and family life.
“When I discovered that I’m struggling with all these things, I had to sit and think about exactly what am I doing,” Alexander said. “I don’t think I’ve ever chosen my path in life, I think I’ve just always thought ‘I’m a drummer, I’m just gonna do music,’ and things came to me, accepting whatever happens.”
The news of his departure was initially shared on October 29 by his now-former bandmates, who claimed that they received an e-mail from him nearly two weeks earlier saying he had “lost his passion for playing.”
Alexander joined PRIMUS in 1989 and left in 1996, then rejoined when they reformed in 2003. He exited the group again in 2010 but returned in 2013.
In July 2016, Alexander revealed that he suffered a second heart attack after he previously endured a similar health scare in 2014.
A decade ago, Les Claypool‘s plan to reform the “classic” PRIMUS lineup — with Alexander and guitarist Larry Lalonde — was put on hold when Alexander suffered his first heart attack, a “minor” attack that resulted in the drummer requiring triple bypass surgery. To fulfill its touring obligations, PRIMUS recruited TOOL‘s Danny Carey to fill in for a few dates. Three months after open-heart surgery, Alexander rejoined PRIMUS on the road.
Photo credit: David Miller
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