The music of Primus is experimental and hard to categorize, it has been variously referred to as thrash funk, funk metal or even psychedelic polka, a phrase coined by founding member, Les Claypool.
The origins of the band were steeped in their association with the Bay Area thrash scene of the mid 80s where they often opened for bands such as Testament. Their debut, Suck On This was a live recording and their first studio album, Frizzle Fry, followed in 1990. The success of Frizzle led to a tour with Jane’s Addiction and a contract with Interscope Records.
Their major label debut was Sailing the Seas of Cheese (1991) and it was a gold seller by the end of the year. It has since been classified platinum. A covers EP, Miscellaneous Debris in 1992 filled the gap until Pork Soda (1993), a sombre album which dealt with dark themes of murder and suicide. It also went platinum.
Tales from the Punchbowl (1995) unleashed a controversy when one track, the Grammy nominated “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver”, attracted interest because many thought it was about Winona Ryder. Even her boyfriend of the time, Soul Asylum’s David Pirner, thought it was about her and he took great offence. The incident caused a rift between the fans of both bands and over time the band slowly distanced themselves from their most successful single. After another couple of moderately successful albums the band took an indefinite hiatus in 2001.
They reconvened in 2003 and have been touring since, although new studio material has yet to surface.
