Les Claypool is what you might think of as a dark magician of music. An accomplished though bizarre bassist and vocalist, he is the driving mind behind the hardly definable band Primus.
Formed in 1984 as just Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, drummer Jay Lane joined shortly after. Huth and Lane left by 1988 and were replaced by Larry LaLonde on guitar and Tim Alexander on drums to record the band’s 1989 debut live album Suck On This. Claypool and LaLonde have remained true to the band throughout, although the drummer position has changed a number of times. In 1996 Alexander was replaced by Bryan Mantia, who was the drummer when Primus recorded the strange theme song to South Park. Alexander then rejoined the band from 2003 until 2010 when long lost Lane came back to record an album before leaving again, bringing Alexander back for a final return in 2013.
Throughout those years the band recorded eight studio albums, planting themselves in a musical class yet to be defined but often lumped in with Alternative or Funk Metal. The band brings dark sounds laden with Claypool’s madman voice and deep bass lines that mix Slap Funk and Metal with a distortion-dipped guitar wailing and writing.
Primus & The Chocolate Factory, released just a couple of weeks ago, is a reimagining of the Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory soundtrack and the focal point of Primus’ current tour. True to the band’s history, the album is the most disturbing take on Willy Wonka you’re likely to hear. But don’t take that the wrong way — it’s great fun, like a funhouse of sound, as if deranged clowns tried to make music and were actually great at it in a way that was strangely pleasing.
PRIMUS plays at the Taft Theatre Friday, Nov. Find tickets/more info here .
