Mr Bungle - Mr Bungle

Sun 8th Feb, 2004 in Music Reviews

There is a pretty hit and miss ratio for success when high profile artists indulge in side projects. The undisputed king of side project mayhem is of course Mike Patton, of Faith No More fame, and few spin offs of his have had the spectacular success of >>Mr Bungle>>. Contrary to popular belief however Mr Bungle was formed well before Faith No More hired Mike as vocalist, though it took a good 6 years to release an album with major label backing.

Rarely heard on radio the first self titled Mr Bungle album, with its ‘evil clowns meet total music mayhem’ overtones, has still managed to work its way into the musical landscape and remain there. Produced by John Zorn, their debut album was released in 1991, confusing the more commercial Faith No More fans and delighting those with an ear for the odd. Signed to major label Warner Bros the music press were at odds with how to respond to the album, falling back on ‘funk metal labelling and eventually running with it.

The album opens with a radio producers worst nightmare (I say from experience)... lengthy silence. A bad-arse riff and carnival organs launches into Quote Unquote, frequently changing pace with Mike Patton contorting himself vocally over-top. While the album follows this riff heavy and evolving musical pieces plan all the way through, it keeps fresh with classics such as the upbeat Squeeze Me Macaroni, with its deft word play and vocals that simply have to be read to be believed. Hell, it even had some turntablism throw in for good measure, pre-dating the whole rap-metal thing by many years (and with better humour and none of the posturing).

Tracks like Carousel and Egg push amore ska and funk feel, with Egg jumping in and out of double time, and the squeamishly titled My Ass Is On Fire defying easy classification, metal chords and offbeat synths slinking into porn wah guitar mode before kicking into a heavy rock out chorus and back again.

Mr Bungle set the stage for countless metal and funk bands to don silly outfits and attempt obfuscating musical styles, yet none have come close. The combination of skilled musicians with bent senses of humour and a peculiar disregard for the demands of their record label have ensured this album a respectable position as an all-time classic.