Primus Reveal New Album Details

25 July 2014 | 11:36 am | Staff Writer

The legendary trio's Willy Wonka-themed full-length is only a couple of months away

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Veteran alt-everything three-piece Primus have revealed that they're working on a new album, as well as pointing to a title and release date.

According to frontman and bass prodigy Les Claypool in an interview with US publication SF Weekly, the album will be a recorded version of the band's live New Year's set in Oakland at the turn of the year — their "interpretation" of the Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory soundtrack, and is on-track to be released in October.

"Yeah, we're working on the Primus record," he told the publication. "We're basically recording the music that we played on New Year's, the Willy Wonka soundtrack. I should say our interpretation of the Willy Wonka soundtrack [laughs]."

"It's a full-length album," he continued. "We're hoping to get it out late summer or early fall. As a matter of fact, I was supposed to have it mixed this week, but that is not going to happen."

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The album's imminence is further seemingly verified by an Instagram photo posted by American record store Grimey's, which points to an October 21 release date, and the re-use of their New Year's show "golden ticket" logo, as noted by Jambase, further apparently confirms what Claypool told SF Weekly.

Jambase also claims to have been told the album's official title will be Primus & The Chocolate Factory With The Fungi Ensemble — again, echoing the band's NYE performance — and will be released in the States via ATO Records. Stay tuned for Aussie release details in the near future, hopefully following an official statement from the band.

With drummer Tim Alexander freshly out of surgery and recovering in the lead-up to the band's imminent appearance at US event RiotFest, the news marks the first real indication of new recorded work from the band since 2011's somewhat polarising Green Naugahyde — itself the band's first record in 12 years at the time.

Watch the clip for classic cut Tommy The Cat, not from Green Naugahyde, below, because it is bassline madness.