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Mr. Bungle talks to RS about shows in Brazil, health of Mike Patton, Avenged and influence

September 19, 2025
8:43 PM

In robust formation with Scott Ian and Dave Lombardo, an indispensable band for the alternative metal returns to the country for three performances, two of them opening to A7X

THE Mr. Bungle He performs three shows in Brazil next month: in Curitiba (02/10 – Pedreira Paulo Leminski), São Paulo (04/10 – Allianz Parque) and Rio de Janeiro (05/10 – Circus Flying). The first two will be as an opening attraction of the Avenged Sevenfold. The introductory group members themselves recognize: the gigantic majority of the public does not even know them.

So what? At least for guitarists Trey Spraanceoriginal member, and Scott Ianfamous for being a founding member of the Anthraxthis is part of grace. “I always loved the challenge of taking the stage and playing for people who don’t know you, because at the end of the show, they are usually very excited and go after you know you better”Ian tells Rolling Stone Brazil.

In addition to Trey and Scott, they make up the original training Mike Patton (voice; consecrated by working with the Faith no More) and Trevor Dunn (low), besides Dave Lombardo (Battery; Popularly Popular for the years with the Slayer). Ian and Lombardo joined in 2019 to the group founded in 1985, at a meeting that remains surprisingly active since then.

Started as a Death Metal project, Mr. Bungle soon embraced what is called “experimental metal.” Sticks all kinds of sounds in your cauldron: from jazz to ska, from funk to hip hop and so on. They only got a contract with record label after Patton gain notoriety with Faith no More. Released three studio albums, Mr. Bungle (1991), Steering wheel (1995) and California (1999), in addition to the rewriting of the demo The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny (1986; 2020). In fact, in the demo format, there are three more works: Bowel of Chiley (1987), Goddammit I Love America !!! $ ɫ !! (1988) and Ou818 (1989).

Commercial success has never come, but the legacy is strong because the group has influenced virtually the whole scene of the so -called “alternative metal” of the 1990s – including nude metal. Names like Korn, system of a Down, Slipknot And… Avenged Sevenfoldwhich even re -recorded one of its songs, “Retrovertigo”. “We have hardcore fans who like to criticize everything and they found the ridiculous version, but Trevor and I heard and we thought, ‘This is not the worst cover I have ever heard’ – it was good, because they respected the composition.”highlights sprunce.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJlzQDF3SMW

Therefore, the expectation is that the A7X public appreciate or at least respect the work of Mr. Bungle in Curitiba and São Paulo. “I think Avenged fans are ready and have an open mind”foresees sprunce. Already in Rio, the party is just theirs. But when Scott and Trey are invited to reflect on their memories of Brazil, they always fall in the state capital. Ian, first, even cite a show with Anthrax, opening to Iron Maiden in 2016.

“We played first with Mr. Bungle in São Paulo [no Knotfest Brasil 2022] And it was great. Now, with Avenged, we will play at the same stadium [Allianz Parque] Where Anthrax played with Iron Maiden in 2016 – and that show was one of the best I have ever done in my life. ”

Scott, say, even spoil a possible special participation in repeat mode. In the Knotfest, members of the grave took the stage to play, with them, a version of “Territoritory”. At least the guitarist Andreas Kissergreat friend of the guitarist of Anthrax, can come again.

“I talked to Andreas a few days ago and he will be in Brazil when we play there. And he is available.”

The sprunce reaction is curious:

“Oh, man. Maybe we should learn a new song from the grave!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntvMsuc25GA

The influential Mr. Bungle

Interviewed separately for cover article of the already released October/2025 edition of Rolling Stone Brazil magazine, the five members of Avenged Sevenfold praised Mr. Bungle. “I should say it’s all about seeing fans, but I can’t lie: having my childhood idols from Mr. Bungle sharing the stage with us is my highlight of this trip.”admits the guitarist Synyster Gates. “It’s a dream that came true-and we want to introduce them to our audience”complements the vocalist M. Shadows.

Trey Spraance admits no idea where her band’s influence on A7X sound is and several other groups. “It seems like a parallel universe to me. Perhaps it was interesting for some of these bands that we are looking for something completely out of metal, but we still don’t see this whole influence.”punctuates the original member. Scott Ian, who made history with Anthrax before joining the bungle, takes off his body: “I’m a fan of Mr. Bungle from the beginning, but I never said it was an influence”.

Perhaps the great cheap of this inspiration is courage. If the eponymous debut album was already experimental, its successor, Steering wheeldeepened this further. And came out for a large label: a Warner. “It’s the most bizarre album of all time and I would love to deliver such a record to a label, so that they react like: ‘What are we going to do with it, it’s a joke?’”explains Shadows.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries

When it is presented to this possibility, Scott Ian sees meaning – and praises the courage of Avenged himself, who has also done more experimental and bold work.

“They are a band willing to take risks. Bands that are at a certain level are afraid to risk and do something different, that is in your heart, but not the same as before. If a part of your fans didn’t like, who cares? This should never dictate what you do as an artist. Anthrax lost many fans when she launched ‘BRING THE NOISE’ with the Public enemy. We knew this was going to happen, but we didn’t care, because we had to do it. ”

Mike Patton’s meeting and current situation

Does the sense that Mr. Bungle actually had any influence on the history of music made the group resume their activities in 2019, after a 19 -year gap? “A little”admits Tray Spruance, who elaborates:

“When Lombardo, Trevor, Patton and I were all in the same room and the idea came up, it took a while to create roots, like a seed being planted. When we realized it would be cool, we thought of having Scott Ian. We inspired the idea of what we could do with these old songs. I think we were not thinking much about our place in the universe. Ian for your band, you have a very good idea of yourself. ”

Since its materialized return in early 2020 – and interrupted due to the pandemic – the bungle has been surprisingly active. There were 20 shows in 2023 and another 32 last year. The agenda will be shorter in 2025, but it is certainly more intense than Faith at More. Mike Patton’s main band took a stage for the last time in 2016. His most recent tour had to be canceled after the singer revealed a diagnosis of agoraphobia (fear or anxiety of being in hard -to -exit places, usually large crowds).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yueaerupli8

With Mr. Bungle exciting, although at a slower pace, it is evident that Patton’s disorder is no longer the main impediment. When asked about the health of his colleague, Trey Spruance states:

“Mike is fine. As you can see, we have done shows all the time here. He’s getting better, he’s leaving the hole he was in. I think he’s coming back. I don’t think this will necessarily translate into anything. We have to leave him what he will do with his musical vision. He has a lot of ideas, you know? from him.”

Mike Patton (Photo: Raphael Dias/Getty Images)

Steering wheel disk, 30 years

For the final moment of the interview, Trey Spruance and Scott Ian remembered the mentioned Steering wheelsecond – and probably more experimental – Mr. Bungle’s studio album, which in 1995 celebrates 30 years of release. Ian, as highlighted earlier, has not participated in the album, but could hear it (and a lot) since 1995.

Trey Spraance: “It was our first really experimental project. I had a small studio at home and it was what we had, with the Warner Bros. budget. Still, we thought: ‘The sky is the limit.’ We tried and got it. We hired the right recording engineer: Billy Andersonwho was willing to make any madness we wanted. We surpassed many technical obstacles, it was crazy. When it was released, I just thought, ‘My God, what did we do?’ Like: ‘Is this going out for a big label?’ We just think about it after delivering to Warner. ”

Scott Ian: “I remember being very excited about the release of a new Mr. Bungle album. It was so different from what it came before. This is the 1990s album I use the most. I still hear it once or twice a month to this day. When I get to hear now, I still discover things I haven’t heard in 1995. There are influences there that I have no idea where they came. ‘Carry Stress In The Jaw’ It is a masterpiece of the level of anything from Beethoven or Mozart. ‘Desert Search for Techno Allah’ It’s the heaviest thing. ”

Trey Spraance: “Importing with public opinion is like the end of everything in creative terms. In the 1990s, at the time of Steering wheelwe were in a very uncertain situation with the label. We tried to get out of the situation with Warner, which was good, but for some reason we tried to leave. Uncertainty generated the idea of: ‘We have nothing to lose’. We won many fans with our first album. With Steering wheelWe knew we would lose many. But we only focused on who was really with us: the fanatics, the most dedicated. If you make sure you are following your inspiration, your fans will always accompany you. If you care about them, then you lose your inspiration. And it’s over. ”