PRIMUS Recruits MAYNARD JAMES KEENAN For First New Song In Three Years
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PRIMUS is back with its first new studio track since 2022's "Conspiranoid" EP: the blistering, surrealist anthem "Little Lord Fentanyl". A twisted fable steeped in groove and dark humor, the track features a guest appearance from Maynard James Keenan (TOOL, A PERFECT CIRCLE, PUSCIFER),whose unmistakable voice slithers through the chaos with sinister glee. Listen to it here.
The single also marks the official studio debut of drummer John Hoffman, a Shreveport native who joined the band earlier this year after beating out more than 6,100 applicants in a global audition process dubbed the "Interstellar Drum Derby".
"Little Lord Fentanyl" showcases the intricate, playful rhythms of Hoffman, whose unconventional style — described by Stereogum as a "weightless bustle of high-velocity flurries, METERS-y swamp-pocket, and cartoonish cymbal clutches" — has brought renewed fire to PRIMUS since he officially joined the band earlier this year. His unlikely journey from Louisiana jam nights to the PRIMUS drum throne was recently chronicled in a feature interview with Stereogum, as well as the band's "Interstellar Drum Derby" YouTube series.
The release of "Little Lord Fentanyl" comes in the midst of PRIMUS's spring run on the "Sessanta" tour — a collaborative outing with A PERFECT CIRCLE and PUSCIFER celebrating Keenan's 60(ish) birthday — and ahead of their "Onward & Upward" summer headline tour, which kicks off July 5 in Paso Robles, California.
The "Onward & Upward" tour marks an exciting new era for the band, with Hoffman officially at the kit. Selected after a months-long audition process, his arrival has brought fresh fire and creative reinvention to the PRIMUS universe. The tour will hit 24 cities nationwide, including iconic venues like Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Greek Theatre, The Rooftop at Pier 17, and a two-night finale at Channel 24 in Sacramento. Along the way, the band will be joined by support from Ty Segall and MONONEON on select dates.
"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".
(Source: www.blabbermouth.net)
