Mr Bungle — California

The title says it all. It's smooth, warm and dangerous, it's California. I have never been there but I've seen Baywatch so I know what I am talking about, haha. If I ever decide to cross the ocean I will have this Mr Bungle album in my bag. It should be the ultimate guide to this surrealistic heaven on earth. Sea, sun, beaches and Mr Bungle, it's an odd combination, but it works.

Mr Bungle is Mike Patton's (ex-Faith No More) 'other' band, this is how most people get into Mr Bungle. But actually he started in Mr Bungle and then moved on to Faith No More and because of the huge succes the Mr Bungle releases got limited to just three albums. Ofcourse Mike Patton is not alone in this band and not even the most important person. Together with Trevor Dunn, Danny Heifetz, Bär McKinnon and Trey Spuance, he makes Mr Bungle complete.

With previous album 'Disco Volante' the band made their most experimental album ever, with California it's exactly the opposite. With 10 'real' songs this is Mr Bungle's most poppiest and most accesible album. But beware since it's not easy music. A good example is 'Ars Moriendi', where we can hear Romanian folk music mixed with Bunglish samples and a techno beat. Or 'The Air-Conditioned Nightmare', where Mr Bungle plays an ode to the Beach Boys.

If you compare this album to 'Disco Volante' than California is like the title, a fresh breeze, sea and sun. It's their summer-album and by far their best I must say. Not only because all tracks are easy listenable but also because they somehow achieved to experiment with different music genres without really sounding like one of them, if you catch my drift.

Mr Bungle can reach a bigger audience with California, but it still is to 'strange' for the masses. Personally I played California a lot more then Disco Volante, but it's hard to compare these two outstanding albums. Let's just say you just have to get this one too. For new fans it's the best way to start with this band.