FRIZZLE FRY

Well, I recently decided to check out Primus, after hearing so much about the great Claypool's bass talent. I am also a big fan of South Park, and have always liked the riff to the theme song. Apparently Claypool is a big fan of South Park, and having seen the original pilot, Primus obliged when Trey Parker asked them to write a theme song for the show.

So I acquired "Frizzle Fry" and "Sailing the Seas of Cheese". I put on Frizzle Fry for the first time, brimming with excitement. The first song "To Defy the Laws of Tradition" I thought was quite good, catchy riff and some neat vocal sections. I was turned off by the screaming vocals and harsh guitar sound, and hoped that it was just that song.. Next came Ground Hog Day, a funkier one that I was immediately attracted to. I was grooving to it, then the screaming indescernable vocals returned. Too bad. After hearing they had defined their own genre of "Psych Polka" I was hoping for some slower more laid back canterbury type music.

The rest of the CD follows this track, with that terrible screaming the guitar and the annoying bass pedals. The vocals are the main turn-off for me, I suppose completely indiscernible high pitched screaming isn't my type of vocals. Ideally, I would have loved to see this album have less mindless guitar, drums and vocals, and more elaboration on those hidden gems within the madness. Les' bass playing is the highlight here, some very innovative stuff.

The production is terrible, that very hot "treble and bass, no midrange or depth" mastering is present here. I had to clear the blood off of my headphones and recliner after I let this one run it's course.

I guess I made the mistake of wandering into thrash music, being a fan of Symphonic prog. Probably to radical of a change for me, maybe others would be able to pick something else that I may have overlooked. I'll come back to it, someday.