American rock band Primus released “Little Lord Fentanyl,” a new single featuring the vocals of American singer-songwriter Maynard James Keenan. Coinciding with their current US tours, the song was released to various streaming platforms, including their YouTube channel.
In a press release, the band described “Little Lord Fentanyl” as “a twisted fable steeped in groove and dark humor.” The single marks the first release by Primus since the 2022 album Conspiranoid. As well, it marks the first release by Primus featuring their new drummer John Hoffman, who joined the band earlier this year. The band said the single “showcases the intricate, playful rhythms of Hoffman, whose unconventional style—described by Stereogum as a “weightless bustle of high-velocity flurries, Meters-y swamp-pocket, and cartoonish cymbal clutches”—has brought renewed fire to Primus since he officially joined the band earlier this year.” Hoffman’s drumming provides well to the song’s ominous, yet hypnotically catchy tone alongside a pronounced bass guitar.
Maynard James Keenan provides his vocals across the track, singing about the titular lord’s life and fall from grace. The lyrics come from the perspective of the titular lord, seemingly recounting a fall from grace that has led him to a more depraved lifestyle. Keenan’s vocal tone bounces between forebodingly dark and drowned in filters, and more strangely upbeat, complementing the instrumental’s ominous yet oddly catchy feeling. As the band says, his “unmistakable voice slithers through the chaos with sinister glee.” Keenan, known for his work on bands such as Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer, has also collaborated alongside Primus in the past.
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