The Patton Parade
So, I guess I'll begin my Mike Patton tirade. Starting off with his first band, and their first demo:
Mr. Bungle - The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny
A bit of background first, the band spawned from Eureka, California. More specifically, Eureka High School. The original lineup included long-time members Mike Patton (vocals), Trevor Dunn (Bass), Trey Spruance (Guitars), and Theo Lengyel (Saxophone and Keys). The band performed at their high school talent show in 1985 (ironically as Bister Mungle), and continued to perform and practice until recording their first demo during Easter 1986.
Certainly a fledgling album if there ever was one, this album represented a different sound than their later output, but also contained elements that would be expanded upon in the work that would follow. The different sound doesn't necessarily make this a bad album, however. Arguably Bungle's heaviest output to date, the album is composed almost entirely of early death metal. This will probably displease fans, but I would invite death metal fans to give this tape a listen.
Anyways, the band is obviously quite talented up to this point. Patton's vocals are a screaming tirade, and strangely unrepresentative of his later sound. Spruance's riffing is already clearly defined on this album, contrasted with his alternate classical picking style. Dunn's bass talent isn't often represented here, so it seems at this point that he is still developing his style. Watts' drumming is actually very on point, which makes a creative difference a likely reason for his quick departure.
There is one small track on this album that sounds quite a bit like the Bungle fans know and love. The track is titled "Evil Satan", and while only about three minutes long, it represents all of the band member's talent, and incorporates a groovier sound, in the vein of Primus and the Red Hot Chili Peppers of the time. At brief moments, the band's sound does shine through on other tracks, but very rarely. While overall I would consider it a pretty good album, when you hold it up to the band's later work, it doesn't quite hold up.
Patton-O-Meter Says:
