Secret Chiefs 3

Trey Spruance first came to prominence as the guitarist in Mr. Bungle, with Mike Patton and Trevor Dunn. Spruance also did a brief stint in Patton's then-more-famous band Faith No More. After Bungle effectively quit being an active unit in 2000, Spruance took his interest in myriad musical styles, and...

By Tom Murphy

January 19, 2012

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Trey Spruance first came to prominence as the guitarist in Mr. Bungle, with Mike Patton and Trevor Dunn. Spruance also did a brief stint in Patton's then-more-famous band Faith No More. After Bungle effectively quit being an active unit in 2000, Spruance took his interest in myriad musical styles, and his seemingly inexhaustible ability to learn instruments and focused on his side project, Secret Chiefs 3. Five years ago, Spruance revealed that the band had seven separate incarnations to reflect specific musical interests. That could be the fusion of electronica and ambient with Persian and Arabic music; it could be death metal, soundtrack work or whatever combination of sounds seemed coherent for a specific musical identity. Whatever form this band takes, its music is always rich, diverse and experientially arresting.

Tom Murphy is a writer, visual artist and musician from Aurora, Colorado. He was a prolific music writer for Westword and a documenter of the Denver music scene.

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