Primus: A Handful Of Nuggs (12"EP, gold vinyl) [ATO RECORDS]

Why you'll love it

This gold 12" spins at 45 RPM and gathers four Primus Nuggs in one place. It pairs two new recordings with "Little Lord Fentanyl" and a live "Duchess" from Philadelphia's Mann Music Center.

This edition

• 12" EP
• Gold vinyl
• Cut at 45 RPM
• Stereo mix

About the album

Primus have always done things their own way, so it makes sense that their stopgap singles have their own name. A Nugg is a standalone track the band puts out between albums, and this 12" scoops up four of them, two brand new and two from the recent past, on Les Claypool's own Prawn Song label with ATO.

"The Ol' Grizz" is a classic Claypool yarn, all rubbery bass, odd characters and Larry LaLonde's slippery guitar, and the Ronnie James Dio cover "Holy Diver" turns a metal anthem into something gloriously Primus-shaped. "Little Lord Fentanyl" carries on the band's long tradition of strange storytelling, and "Duchess (and the Proverbial Mind Spread)" captures them live in Philadelphia. Claypool produced with Zach Fichter, mixing at his Rancho Relaxo studio.

It's also an early document of the current lineup, with John Hoffman behind the kit since early 2025. The Nugg, as a unit of measurement, is not yet recognized by the metric system, though we've written a strongly worded letter.

Also at Kops: more Primus on vinyl · browse Alternative

Tracklist

Listen

On Prawn Song / ATO (cat# ATO0720), the 2026 EP.