Despite the uncertainty 2020 is right now due to the COVID-19 outbreak, there’s one thing we can look back on: the Mr. Bungle reunion happened, and Danny DeVito was there. Since their first set of shows in twenty years, the group has spent a decent amount of time teasing fans on a studio recording. Today (23), the secret is out as the band spoke to Revolver on their plans to re-record 1986’s The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny, along with covers and three previously unreleased tracks from their early days. Additionally, the recording will be with original members Mike Patton, Trey Spruance, and Trevor Dunn along with Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian, and Dave Lombardo (ex-Slayer, Suicidal Tendencies).
During the exclusive interview, Spruance explained to Revolver on their decision to re-record the demo:
“I guess there’s a couple reasons. The main one is that we started hanging out again and doing music together — Trevor, Mike and I — about 10 years ago. That was obviously way after the band broke up in 2001 or whenever it was. So we’ve been meeting up and doing stuff for 10 years. We never felt like there was a pressing need to do a Bungle reunion, but we were hearing about it all the time. We knew people wanted us to do it, but we were kinda looking at each other, like, “Should we?” We felt like if it wasn’t coming out of us naturally, what the fuck are we doing? Maybe we should be thinking about our legacy more than doing a reunion just to do it. So we didn’t do it.
Then Trevor had this spontaneous idea when he was on tour with Lombardo — probably in Fantômas — “Wouldn’t it be great if we did our early thrash/death metal stuff with Lombardo?” I think it was an informal thought at first, but then it kind of took root when my band Secret Chiefs 3 was opening up for Dead Cross on tour. That put all of us in the same room — me, Trevor, Mike and Lombardo — and Trevor brought it up again. Like, “We’re all standing here with Lombardo. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we did this?” About a year later, Lombardo called me and suggested we surprise Patton for his birthday by doing a demo of these tunes.”
