Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
The new four-song EP “A Handful Of Nuggs” from alternative metal band Primus is currently available for listening, as per theprp. The band’s upcoming tenth studio album includes the brand-new song “The Ol’ Grizz” from that endeavour. In recent months, the three have been working on their next catalogue item, which they want to release in 2027. For the time being, Les Claypool, the exceptional bassist and vocalist for Primus, appears to have another passion behind the title of this new EP. Claypool talked about his passion for gold prospecting in a recently released interview with Bass Magazine.
I bought me a gold mine up in the mountains. It’s an old hydraulic mine, and I’ve been going up there to explore it. My friends and my son and I dig holes and look for some nuggets. I’ve already found a handful of them. It’s a good ol’ time, getting dirty and hoping to not step on a rattlesnake or get eaten by a bear.
In “A Handful Of Nuggs,” Primus and Puddles Pity Party, who have previously collaborated live, perform a rendition of Dio‘s “Holy Diver.” “Little Lord Fentanyl” is another song on the EP. Maynard James Keenan of Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Puscifer fame collaborated with Primus on this song. A live recording of “Duchess And The Proverbial Mind Spread” from a performance at the TD Pavilion at The Mann in Philadelphia, PA, completes the endeavour. During Primus‘ 2025 tour of “Sessanta,” which included A Perfect Circle and Puscifer, the latter two songs were previously published as part of a 7.” The impending tenth album by Primus will be the first after the band signed drummer John “Hoffer” Hoffman in 2025. Claypool acknowledged that he hasn’t spoken to Alexander since their breakup.
When Herb left the band, it felt like the rug being pulled out from under us. Nobody expected it. We were all getting along great, we were having a blast, and we were excitedly talking about the future. Then all of a sudden, we were like, what the hell happened? I have no idea what happened; I still haven’t spoken to him at all. I was like, holy shit, what do we do?
We had a New Year’s show booked, and we asked Herb to come play it — we could send him out with a bang, a farewell show. We could’ve made t-shirts and it would’ve been a whole thing. But he wouldn’t even respond to us. So, I had the idea to get a bunch of my bands together and do Claypool Gold. It was amazing, a wonderful night, and then promoters started hearing about it. Our manager told us that people wanted this. So that’s why we’re doing it this summer.
What will the future hold for Primus?
We’re about to release a 12” that has two new singles, then ‘Lord Fentanyl‘ and the live version of ‘Dutchess‘. We recorded a new song, ‘The Ol’ Griz‘, that’s going to be part of the next record, and we also did a cover of Dio’s ‘Holy Diver‘ with Puddles the Clown. We have to do all this touring, so it won’t be ready until next year.
Although the band’s Club Bastardo store appears to be a reliable option to watch, the availability of the 12-inch pressing of this new EP has not yet been disclosed as of the time of publication. Claypool responded as follows when asked by Bass Magazine how Primus‘ new music has been developing.
I’m really excited because Ler has been bringing in a lot of stuff, which I love. Some of my favorite tunes are the ones that Ler has written. I’ve been pushing Hoffer to bring in ideas, too. For many years, it was mainly me bringing in the songs, but I never want it to just sound like a Claypool thing. When they bring in stuff, I get to interpret their shit, which is fun for me. There’s a lot of stuff we’re kicking around, and at some point, we’ll get back to it.
Primus even complimented Angine de Poitrine later in the conversation. This year, the masked psych rock band from Eastern Canada has gained popularity and been compared to Primus a lot.
Primus is an acquired taste. I’ve had 40 people send me Angine de Poitrine because they think it’s some derivative Primus thing. I get that and I go, brilliant! The world is finally coming around to shit that I like.
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