Patton's first bands in high school played heavy metal and by the start of Mr. Bungle the frontman was immersed in death metal and hardcore punk. In this period his favorites groups included Venom, Possessed and Sodom. In terms of punk, he was a big fan of The Exploited and straight edge band 7 Seconds. The band's second and third demos shifted its sound to ska and funk, and the last one of 1989 incorporated a wide variety of genres. Patton considers his work at a record store as crucial for his and Mr. Bungle's evolution: upon his arrival, he "devour" extreme metal and punk rock music, all the while his coworkers introduced him to diverse artists who ranged from rap to reggae to folk rock and other genres.