Antipop | ||||
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Studio album by Primus | ||||
Released | October 19, 1999 | |||
Recorded | 1999 | |||
Genre | Alternative metal,funk metal, nu metal | |||
Length | 1:03:15 | |||
Label | Interscope, Prawn Song | |||
Producer | Primus, Tom Morello, Stewart Copeland, Tom Waits, Matt Stone, Fred Durst | |||
Primus chronology | ||||
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Singles from Antipop | ||||
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic |
Antipop is the sixth studio album by the American rock band Primus, released on October 19, 1999. It was the band's final release before their hiatus in 2000-2003. It was also the last album with drummer Bryan Mantia.
The album features several well-known guest musicians and producers, including Tom Waits, James Hetfield (of Metallica), Jim Martin (former member of Faith No More), Fred Durst (of Limp Bizkit) and Tom Morello (of Rage Against the Machine). Regarding the album's production, Claypool has stated "Antipop was the most difficult record we ever made, because there was a lot of tension between the three of us, and there was some doubt at the label as to whether we knew what the hell we were doing anymore. But there was some great things to come out of it, like the tune we did with Tom Waits, 'Coattails of a Dead Man'. I love that song." After the release of the album the band went on a three-year hiatus from 2000 to 2003. Claypool said "Well in 1999, Primus sort of imploded and we broke up, but we called it a hiatus just so that we wouldn't slam that door."
While producing the song "Lacquer Head", Durst encouraged Primus to return to the more aggressive metal sound of their earlier albums for Antipop.
The album received mixed reviews from critics, and the band themselves were not pleased with how the album turned out, with the album's poor outcome leading to the band's eventual break-up. Les Claypool said "We were reaching the end of our creative rope. The well was just dry, so we just started sucking mud". However, in his review for Allmusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album a positive review, describing the album as "one of Primus' most ambitious and best efforts", noting that "some collaborations are among the best things Primus has ever recorded". Towards the end of the piece, Erlewine sums up his views by admitting that "they're not always successful, but no two songs sound the same [...] and even if it's not to your particular taste, it's hard not to respect this."