On their ninth studio outing, Les Claypool has reconvened the band’s classic line-up – guitarist Larry LaLonde and drummer Tim Alexander – for a weirdly engrossing tribute to the 1978 children’s story, The Rainbow Goblins. All of the familiar Primus elements are here: pendulous basslines, loopy melodies and cartoony vocals, not least on opening track The Valley. Yet unlike the band’s 2014 tripped-out tribute to Willy Wonka, The Desaturating Seven unfurls darker, moodiersoundscapes with mesmerising forays into psychedelic experimentalism, as heard in The Trek and The Storm. There’s an undeniable sense of both subtlety and maturity here that feel almost out of place, yet it’s in these shady nuances that one taps into the bizarro brilliance of Primus. Les Claypool and co will always be an acquired, taste but for those who appreciate creativity and ambition, The Desaturating Seven yields a sparkling trove of tricks, treasures and surprises.
Primus - The Desaturating Seven album review
San Fran’s funk metal freaks head back to their infancy

You can trust Louder Our experienced team has worked for some of the biggest brands in music. From testing headphones to reviewing albums, our experts aim to create reviews you can trust. Find out more about how we review.

"How anyone can be 'deeply disturbed and hurt' by this is beyond me": REO Speedwagon charity show bickering continues as Bruce Hall fires back at Kevin Cronin

“If I talk about Donald J. Trump, I may be one of those returning to America who is barred or put in jail to sleep on a cement floor” Neil Young thinks Donald Trump is the worst president in US history, but fears that saying so could have consequences

“Contains love songs of every stripe: stressed-out, gooey-eyed, gratuitously horny, blissed out, obsessive and mysterious.” Wet Leg announce second album Moisturizer, share new single Catch These Fists