Mr. Bungle - Mr. Bungle

People should know I'm a big fan of Mike Patton. Here's where it all began.

This isn't necessarily a review of the record, but more of an account of its affect on me.

Mr. Bungle's self titled debut came out in 1991. They were signed to a major label partly due to the fact that Patton had recently been hired as the replacement vocalist for Faith No More. The album shows off many styles of music, and often jumps around through them in the tracks themselves. The lyrics from Patton contain a lot more humour and are less personal than the ones he wrote with Faith No More. It should be known that even though I say I'm a big fan of Mike Patton, I am and never have been all that in to Faith No More. I've always been more partial to Patton's experimental side; most likely from listening to Mr. Bungle before the likes of Angel Dust and The Real Thing. However, I wouldn't go as far to say that this is an excellent album. It's a good album, but Mr. Bungle would go on to be greater with their sophomore effort; Disco Volante. Despite my opinions on the record from a musical standpoint it plays a crucial role in my love for music.

Mr. Bungle is one of the most important albums I have ever listened to, as it opened my eyes to a whole new world of music. I randomly came across this self titled debut many years ago and was amazed by the sheer insanity and eclectic nature of it. I already knew who Mike Patton was from Faith No More, but had no idea of his roots with Mr. Bungle. Having heard this album led me into researching other bands Patton had played with; if there were any. This was when I found experimental super group Fantômas.

After this, I discovered Mike Patton had his own record label; Ipecac Recordings. I ended up checking out band after band, following the links to each other, and discovering many of my now favourite artists. Tom Waits, Isis, Dillinger Escape Plan and many more; I can attribute my love for all of these from listening to Mr. Bungle. From this I ended up seeing the importance of seeking out new music.

Today I actively look in to new music all of the time, and I passionately collect records. I was into music before Mr. Bungle, but my passion for it only grew after hearing this psychotic record. There's a whole world of fantastic bands, musicians and records out there to be discovered and people shouldn't hesitate in listening to something new, even if it is a little different.