Primus is an American funk metal band formed in El Sobrante, California in 1984. The band is currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry “Ler” LaLonde, and drummer Tim “Herb” Alexander. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by drummer Jay Lane, though the latter two departed the band at the end of 1988. Featuring LaLonde and Alexander, Primus recorded the live album Suck on This in 1989, followed by four studio albums: Frizzle Fry (1990), Sailing the Seas of Cheese (1991), Pork Soda (1993), and Tales from the Punchbowl (1995). Alexander left the band in 1996 due to lack of interest and was replaced by Bryan “Brain” Mantia, with whom Primus went on to record the original theme song for the TV show South Park and two more albums, Brown Album (1997) and Antipop (1999), before entering into a hiatus in 2000.
In 2003, Claypool and LaLonde reunited with Alexander and released an EP and accompanying DVD, Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People, before touring sporadically through 2008. In 2010, Lane rejoined Primus, replacing Alexander who had again left the band, and the band released their seventh album, Green Naugahyde, in 2011. In 2013, Lane left the band to focus on other projects, and Alexander rejoined once again. They have released some of their records on Claypool’s own label Prawn Song Records.
Primus is characterized by its irreverent, quirky approach to music. In 1993, Robert Christgau remarked: “[Primus is] quite possibly the strangest top-10 band ever, and good for them.”