CALIFORNIA

I know some people have tried to figure out what influences one can hear in listening to this album or any of the other two Mr. Bungle albums, but I think it'll take a team of nuclear engineers (or a team of several dozen music fanatics) several years to figure that out. Yes, this is probably the most accessible album of the three, but it's still a very good album. It's still chock full of various types of influences, from Zappa to avant-garde to metal, and this album seems to be more focused on vocals than the other 2. It still has the "carnival gone completely insane" fell to it, but to me it lacks some of the punch from...something. It just doesn't feel quite as energized as it has in past with other Mr. Bungle albums. However, for someone new to the group who isn't used to a whole lot of zaniness in their music, this is a good place to start, as it's the most accessible Bungle album. A very solid and tightly composed, but for me it lacks some of the punch that's found in Disco Volante. 4 stars.