Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Avenged Sevenfold vocalist M. Shadows recently joined avant-garde metal band Mr. Bungle onstage in a much anticipated development, as per theprp. Mr. Bungle was specifically chosen by the latter multi-platinum alternative metal group to kick off their January/February Latin American tour. In 2017, Avenged Sevenfold performed a cover of Mr. Bungle‘s song “Retrovertigo.” At the time, Shadows praised the group’s lead singer, Mike Patton, as “one of the greatest vocalists of our generation.” It was clear that this convergence of ideas will eventually materialize when Patton and company pulled out the 1999 tune for its first live performance since 2000 during their show in Zappopan, Mexico on January 15, 2026.
Shadows sang vocals for a portion of that song during Mr. Bungle‘s set on February 3rd, at a tour-ending performance at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Below is fan-shot video of that that has since surfaced:
In 1985, the American experimental rock group Mr. Bungle was founded in Eureka, California. The band, which has seen numerous configurations throughout the course of its career, is most recognized for its experimental rock phase. Heavy metal, avant-garde jazz, ska, disco, and funk were among the many musical styles it frequently cycled among in a single song during this period, which was further accentuated by frontman Mike Patton’s diverse singing style. During this time, the band also used unusual song structures and samples, played a variety of instruments, concealed the identity of its members by donning masks, jumpsuits, and other costumes, and performed a wide range of cover songs live.
While the members were in high school, the band was started as a death metal project. The 1981 HBO special The Pee-wee Herman Show featured a character from the 1960 children’s instructional film Beginning Responsibility: Lunchroom Manners, which inspired its name. In the middle to late 1980s, Mr. Bungle put out four demo cassettes. Patton’s popularity as Faith No More‘s frontman led to the band’s signing with Warner Bros. Records in 1990 and put out three studio albums in its distinctive, avant-garde style between 1991 and 1999. In order to promote its third record, the band went on tour in 1999 and 2000. After that, they took an indefinite break, which was officially declared a dissolution in 2004.
