As we revealed to you in March, Mr. Bungle hit the studio earlier this year to re-record their very first demo, 1986's The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny, along with three previously un-recorded originals and a slew of cover songs that they played during their February reunion shows. Among those covers was a blistering take on the Exploited's politically charged punk-rock anthem "USA," and the avant-metal troublemakers — currently comprised of Mike Patton, Trevor Dunn, Trey Spruance, Scott Ian and Dave Lombardo — have now unleashed the studio version via all digital platforms, marking the group's first recorded music since 1999!
The track might pull no punches ("USA" includes the lyrics "They keep their secrets undercover/The rich don't bother about those that suffer/This ain't the land of milk and honey/'Cause all they want is money money money"), but it's for a good cause. All proceeds from both the single and a new limited-edition T-shirt (see it below) will be donated to the MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund, through July 4th. The shirt, which will only be offered through Independence Day, is available exclusively on Mr. Bungle's webstore.
"Doesn't matter what part of the political spectrum you are on, everyone at some point has said, 'Fuck the USA.' The closest thing we have to a universal sentiment," Spruance commented on the cover.
"This is a song that resonates and speaks to the country that Ipecac calls home," added Greg Werckman, co-owner (with Patton) of Ipecac Recordings, which will also be donating its proceeds from the single, as well as releasing Bungle's forthcoming full-length this fall. "Over 100,000 U.S. citizens are dead from the pandemic. At the same time protective masks have turned into a political football and no one has a grasp on testing. Racism continues to rear its ugly head. Police brutality spikes, unemployment spikes, depression spikes and 'our' ego driven elected officials don't seem to care. We need to do a better job of looking out for each other. MusiCares looks after all of us in the music community."
