The band that composed the theme music for TV’s “South Park” and took funk to a whole new (and weird) level is back with their seventh studio album “Green Naugahyde.”
After 11 years of side projects galore and a line-up change, California based outfit Primus released new material on Sept. 13.Even with the swap of former drummer Tim Alexander for Jay Lane (Lane was actually in the band in the ’80s) the newest release falls in with the rest of Primus’ material swimmingly.
Looking for predictability in a band like Primus is much like looking for a parking spot on USI’s campus at 10 a.m. That being said, Primus’ most recent installment is not an out of the ordinary set of tracks for the funk/rock veterans.
Lead vocalist and bass guitar afficianado Les Claypool shows no signs of aging on this record. His bass skills, vocal talents, and avant garde yet sublime overall presence are just as impassioned as they have ever been.
Guitarist Larry LaLonde’s soaring and delightfully aimless guitar solos punctuate Claypool’s vocals with an odd, almost surreal grace.
As if the guitar and bass do not compliment each other enough, Lane’s technical drum talents match with Claypool and LaLonde’s various skills as though they all learned to play their respective instruments in the same room.
The album begins on an energetic note. “You get to bite that pie in the sky!” Claypool yells on “Hennepin Crawler.” “Last Salmon Man” adds fuel to the fire with a chant-along chorus line “You’re the last salmon man” and choppy forceful guitar licks. Trancy guitars make up the climactic ending, building up to the eerily rewarding final chorus.
Claypool really shows off his bass expertise on “Tragedy’s A’Comin.” Effect-heavy guitar and bass parts make up the bulk of the song, but a lengthy guitar solo and then a series of funky bass riffs help to bring the track to a valid ending.
The next track, “The Eyes of the Squirrel,” is a slow dark cadence, glossed over with modified guitar work. The track ends with a lengthy section that at first seems to be fading noise but soon picks back up into an ambient buildup that ends with a final phrase and ringout.
“Jilly’s On Smack” is a dim, almost ghastly personal track that is as energetic as it is dark.
“HOINFODAMAN” is a heavy pulse with many spoken phrases punctuating the urgent rhythm of distorted instruments and aggressive drums in perfect time.
“Extinction Burst” ends the album as a grand number complete with gutteral yells and victorious guitar and bass parts. The fast and constant pace of the song follows through gracefully in comparison to the beginning of the album.
The record ends with the repetition of the line “He’s the last salmon man” as the vocals fade in and then out.
Overall the album seems like a comfortable but entertaining piece that Primus fans should enjoy thoroughly. A constant stream of talent and smart song writing makes for a wonderful use of just over 50 minutes.