Mr. Bungle

Formed in Eureka, California in 1985, experimental rock and metal band Mr. Bungle was founded by high school friends Mike Patton (vocals/keyboards), Trey Spruance (guitar/keyboards), Theo Lengyel (saxophone), Trevor Dunn (bass), and Jed Watts (drums). With a name inspired by a character from a children’s educational film, the band were different from their other hometown musical rivals, creating a unique blend of experimental rock and thrash metal. The band recorded their first demo, The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny, in April, 1986. Mr. Bungle’s line-up expanded and changed over the next few years. In 1989, Mike Patton joined Faith No More and chose to work on both bands concurrently. Mr. Bungle signed to Warner Bros. Records and released their self-titled debut album in 1991. Produced by John Zorn, the album was an experimental mix of many different styles including death metal, heavy metal, jazz, ska, funk. Since the band members were busy with other projects, it took another four years before they released their second album, Disco Volante, in 1995. The album expanded upon the debut’s experimental nature, adding classical and electronic music influences into the mix. Their third album, California, was released in 1999 and proved to be more commercially accessible than their first two albums. Mr. Bungle officially went on hiatus in 2000, leaving the possibility of more activity. However, as the years dragged on, their fanbase were unsure if the band would ever return. Surprisingly, in late 2019, it was announced that Patton, Spruance, and Dunn were set to reunite as Mr. Bungle along with new members Scott Ian (Anthrax) and Dave Lombardo (Slayer). This new line-up played a handful of live shows, performing the band’s 1986 demo, The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny, in its entirety. The band went into the studio and re-recorded the demo, returning to their thrash metal roots in the process. Mr. Bungle released The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo on October 30, 2020.