We already know that there’s no Tool album on the immediate horizon, which is frustrating on a handful of levels. However, there’s a bit of a silver lining, especially for fans of drummer Danny Carey, and even more if you’re a Tool fan that likes Primus. Primus bassist/frontman Les Claypool tells Rolling Stone that Carey will be filling in for Primus drummer Tim Alexander, who’s currently recovering from open heart surgery, in September. That will include the Riot Fest shows in Chicago and Denver, as well as an after party in Chicago on September 13th. Here’s what Claypool had to say about his temporary drummer:
“The mighty Tim ‘Herb’ Alexander is a polyrhythmic Viking of extreme and unique talent so the one person that we thought could step into his shoes and do it justice is the one and only Mr. Danny Carey. Whereas Herb is the stocky, Easter Island-faced, boulder of a drumming human, at nearer to seven feet, Danny Carey is the mighty redwood tree of percussion; towering over his kit like a golden-haired noble sequoia. I can’t wait to see that menacing grin of Danny’s shine out as we pound our way through ‘Here Come the Bastards’ and ‘Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers.’ He’s a dear old friend and we are extremely excited to have him aboard, and I would wager we are equally if not more intrigued than most by what kind of sounds are going to come out of the three of us once we actually get in a room together and do more than just consume fancy booze.”
While Primus considered pulling the plug on the Riot Fest shows, RS says that they carried on in part to give Alexander financial relief. There’s a bit of a personal connection as well, as Alexander has played with Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan in A Perfect Circle and Puscifer. Alexander will rejoin the band behind the kit on October 22nd for their tour in support of Primus & the Chocolate Factory, which will be released the previous day.
