Primus

In the late '80s, there was an explosion of California bands that fused the rhythms and slap bass of Funk, the guitar bombast and virtuosity of Metal, the raw sound of Punk, and even the elaborate song structures of Prog. The movement was led by bands that had been at it for years like Fishbone and the Red Hot Chili Peppers -- excellent musicians with shamelessly wild stage performances. Up in Northern California, Primus took these SoCal influences and expanded them with an unequaled talent and weirdness -- their proud battlecry "Primus Sucks!" Les Claypool's bass snaps like a rubber band in uncountable rhythms. His voice, a near emulation of his bass technique, is percussive and rhythmic, pelting narratives as cartoonish as their performances and videos. Herb (who was recently replaced by Brain from Praxis and Limbomaniacs) somehow managed to keep up with Claypool's chaos with arena rock fills. Under Primus' rhythms, Larry LaLonde's guitars leave a texture of psychedelic squealing that perpetually spins out of control. For better or worse, Primus has been instrumental in pushing Funk Metal into territory as self-indulgent as Prog, though their fan base grew greater as their music became more complex, awkward and tumultuous.