Review: Mr. Bungle, ‘The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo’

This year has been something else, to put it lightly. Everyone has been stressed for one reason or another, and one of the few things we can all rely on in these turbulent times is music. It can soothe us and get us out of our heads and allow us to relax. What we’re going to talk about today, however, is not that sort of music. Today we’re looking at the ferocious, snarling reissue of Mr. Bungle’s first-ever self-released cassette from 1986: The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo.

Few bands are capable of what Mr. Bungle can do; the sheer variety of styles, the dizzying pace, the frenetic, manic energy of their music has long intoxicated fans of the extreme and bizarre. However, not everyone knows how they started out as a thrash metal outfit in the ’80s. This recent reissue sees the group, led by the wonderfully deranged Mike Patton, polishing their earliest material and giving it the star treatment it has always deserved.

It can be a bit jarring for fans who know Mr. Bungle through their sound on albums like Disco Volante and California to hear the sheer insanity of this early material. Guitarist Trey Spruance erupts with blindingly fast solos anchored by Anthrax’s own Scott Ian on the potent rhythm chugs (Ian actually developed arthritis learning these insane songs to record this reissue). Underneath it all, none other than Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo and Trevor Dunn on bass give every beat an extra kick in the teeth; it’s impossible not to head bang to this music.

Of course, no review of a reissue this important is complete without discussing Mike Patton, and his unbelievable vocal range. Even after 20 years, he still absolutely dominates the music. His voice is well-known to fans of his various projects, but this is Patton at his most visceral and captivating. When Mr. Bungle recently played a virtual concert featuring much of the material from the record, it was super clear how much fun Patton was having playing this music again. The twisted sense of humor is ever-present as well, adding to the whole aura of Patton as a demented jester high on bootleg meth.

Mr. Bungle already has quite the stellar reputation in the experimental music world. Their three-show reunion “tour” sold out the day it was announced, and their fans remain as devoted as ever. While it may not be “new material,” this release will please the fans and especially the diehards who have been craving a proper release of this brutal, dizzying, pummeling slab of thrash. I’m excited to listen to it again just seeing that written out.

Mr. Bungle, The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo is now available on Spotify.