Primus have revealed that longtime drummer Tim "Herb" Alexander has once again left the band.
Calling the news "a complete shock" in a statement shared via social media, bassist-vocalist Les Claypool and guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde write, "On Thursday, October 17, we received an email from Tim 'Herb' Alexander expressing that effective immediately, he would no longer be involved with Primus.
UPDATE (11/4, 9:31 a.m. ET): In an interview with Rolling Stone, Alexander explained his decision to quit the band, saying he's spent the past several months "in a place of deep healing and intensive mental health rehabilitation, learning to confront struggles I've carried for years."
"Being a drummer for almost four decades has taken its toll on my body," he told the publication's Daniel Kreps. "As I said previously, my body hurts. My hands hurt. My back hurts. Ten years ago, I had open heart surgery and am still dealing with the aftermath."
Despite "dealing with all these aches and pains," the drummer also said he's "feeling really good" now. "I'm the happiest I think I've ever been," Alexander said. "I'm not looking at this like, 'I can't function anymore, I got to quit.' I feel good, I feel strong, but I've had to make these changes to get to this point."
"On the heels of a wonderful spring & summer of touring and some fabulous plans ahead, it has been a bit bewildering for us that Herb would so abruptly opt out."
The remaining members write that "after several attempts to communicate with Herb, his only response was another email stating that he has 'lost his passion for playing.' As disappointing as that is, we respect his choice and it's forced us to make some tough decisions."
With a void behind the kit ahead of their annual New Year's show, Claypool and LaLonde will now "pivot to an augmented version" of their group for the occasion, featuring members of the former's solo vehicles: Les Claypool and the Holy Mackerel and Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade.
The two add that for a recently announced support slot at Tool's 2025 destination festival in the Dominican Republic, that band's Danny Carey "has once again graciously offered to fill the drum throne," while for the 2025 Sessanta V2.0 tour with Tool-adjacent bands Puscifer and A Perfect Circle, they "plan on searching for the 'greatest drummer on Earth.'"
Read Primus's complete statement below.
Alexander has drummed on the majority of Primus's studio albums, including 1990 debut Frizzle Fry, 1991's Sailing the Seas of Cheese, 1993's Pork Soda and 1995's Tales from the Punchbowl.
The drummer has exited Primus on two prior occasions: first in 1996 until rejoining in 2003, and again in 2010 until his return in 2013.
Primus's most recent album is 2017's The Desaturating Seven, which marked their first full-length of original material written with Alexander since 1995.
More recently, the trio delivered the Conspiranoid EP in 2022.