Primus have released a new four-track EP called A Handful of Nuggs, and it is as weird, playful, and stacked with oddball collaborations as fans would expect. The EP arrived digitally on May 15, 2026, with a special-edition 12-inch vinyl set for release on July 22, and pre-orders are already live. The focus track is “The Ol’ Grizz,” one of the first studio recordings to feature new drummer John Hoffman.
The project’s most eye-catching moment is Primus’ take on Dio’s “Holy Diver,” which is sung by Puddles Pity Party. Primus describe the EP as a compact but strange little package that also includes fan favorites from their current era: “Little Lord Fentanyl” featuring Maynard James Keenan of Tool, and “Duchess (And The Proverbial Mind Spread)” recorded live at the Mann Music Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The full track list keeps things simple and weirdly deliberate: “The Ol’ Grizz,” “Holy Diver” (feat. Puddles Pity Party), “Little Lord Fentanyl” (feat. Maynard James Keenan), and “Duchess (And The Proverbial Mind Spread)” (Live from the Mann Music Center, Philadelphia, PA). Primus say the EP is meant to showcase both the new lineup energy and the band’s current live identity.
John Hoffman’s presence matters here. Primus say he came through their massive “Interstellar Drum Derby” search, where the band sifted through more than 6,100 submissions before narrowing it down and eventually choosing Hoffman after additional auditioning with Gergo Borlai. The band’s official site says the final episode of the series included Hoffman and Borlai playing a full set of Primus songs and working with Les Claypool and Larry LaLonde on a new song.
The EP also lands during a very busy Claypool period. Primus’ official site says the band is heading to the U.K. and Europe this summer for festival appearances and select city shows, while Claypool also has the Claypool Gold run coming up, bringing together Primus, The Claypool Lennon Delirium, and Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade.
For longtime fans, A Handful of Nuggs works as a nice snapshot of where Primus are right now: part new chapter, part live document, part gloriously off-center homage. The Dio cover is the headline grabber, but the EP’s real story is how naturally Primus keep turning the strange into something that feels unmistakably theirs.
