Review Summary: XIII: It's about as "classically Primus" as they come.
Primus’ career was one of twists, distortions, and outright unpredictability. They conquered a budding 90’s alt-rock scene while preserving warped prog discipline. They changed the game in what it took to make Top 10 success. After the departure of famed drummer Tim “Herb” Alexander and a meandering whimper near the end of the decade (leading to the band’s disbandment), Primus had a chance for personal re-fulfillment, as Alexander’s return on the
Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People EP gave a promising glimpse into Primus reborn. Sadly, it was all too short-lived, as Alexander left once again, with old-school Primus kit-meister Jay Lane taking the sticks. With the Primus fanbase still reeling from Alexander’s absence, Les Claypool and Larry “Ler” LaLonde welcomed Lane with open arms, and at long last, a brand new LP from the SoCal trio emerged. 2011’s
Green Naugahyde marked Primus’ “reunion” LP, their first full-length album since 1999’s nu-metal chugger
Antipop. Truth be told, anticipation was high, even without Alexander on board. Helmed by a band constantly changing lanes, perpetually dissatisfied with the musical climate they exist in,
Green Naugahyde is about as “classically Primus” as they come.
Probably the biggest question that many listeners will ask before listening to
Green Naugahyde is the following: “does this sound like old Primus?” The short answer: “yes.” The long answer: “Not entirely, but close enough.” Most of the musical direction Primus take on
Green Naugahyde does feel oddly retro for them. There aren’t any jazzy, prog twists. No nu-metal riffs. Not even really a jam to speak of. This is as close to
Frizzle Fry-era that Primus has gotten to in a while, even passing up the promising
Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People EP. The songs themselves have a surprisingly high number of heavy bass riffs from Claypool, as heard in the hypnotic “Last Salmon Man” and the scathing television commentary “Moron TV.” One of the best tracks on the record, “HOINFODAMAN”, has one of the most infectious bass riffs Claypool’s ever constructed, with nimble drum beats from Lane and slithering guitars from LaLonde. Sure, some tracks like “Extinction Burst” are dull as dirt, but the songwriting feels just goofy enough to sit comfortably in with early 90’s Primus, and in some cases, surpasses them.
Lane’s return to Primus hasn’t done too much to change Primus’ discipline, though the drumming doesn’t feel precisely like their old days. While some tracks like “Eyes of the Squirrel” might bring back moments of Alexander’s role in Primus, most of the tracks on
Green Naugahyde are very heavy on the “jazzpunk” side of things. “Lee Van Cleef” is an obvious example, as Lane sticks to snares and high-hats for the ride, while “Tragedy’s a’ Comin’” is a groovy song with a brisk, dancing pace that seems more fundamental than one might expect from Lane’s predecessor. Lane’s focus on less virtuosity and more groove is sure to turn off some hardcore Prawns, but it would be silly to say that his place in Primus hasn’t been defined well enough on
Green Naugahyde.
But you remember when I said “not entirely”? Well,
Green Naugahyde does have a few turns that might turn off fans. While you could argue that the fewer Satriani solos from LaLonde are a missed shot, it’s Claypool who’s the odd man out here. Firstly, his vocals stick to lower snarls and much less interesting wails. You won’t hear the sneers of “Jerry Was a Racecar Driver” on
Green Naugahyde, and the less frenetic vocal direction is definitely a sore spot. Secondly, Claypool has clearly become fascinated in the world of bass effects, as
Green Naugahyde really overdoes it on them. “Hennepin Crawler” is a great opener as far as songwriting, and its use of garbled effects does work well, but once you get to “Eyes of the Squirrel” mid-way through, you’ll get exhausted. Claypool’s bass work is best when he takes things away from rubbery bumping and sticks to that
Frizzle Fry-esque metal grime, and while this is an enormous step up from their last LP, the effects exhaust their novelty quicker than Claypool expected.
Green Naugahyde misses some marks in bringing Primus back to where they were in the 90’s, but thanks to some solid songwriting and a nice new sound bursting from the drum kit, it fits. Lane’s drum style is not prog. It’s jazz and it works, with some twists and turns throughout the entire LP. While there aren’t any instant classics on
Green Naugahyde (aside from maybe “HOINFODAMAN”), the collective quality of the tracks is above average, and you clearly hear Primus reaching for their old sound. However, Claypool’s less interesting vocal style and almost fetishistic use of bass effects turn some fascinating hills and valleys into flat plateaus, crippling portions of gritty metal edge. But this is still as close as Primus has come to the
Frizzle Fry years in ages, and that’s not an easy sound to get, especially after all this time.
Green Naugahyde is not as honed as
Sailing the Seas of Cheese or atmospheric as
Pork Soda. Instead, it gets the job done and shows an old age of Primus made fresh again.
