

Bambi's Dilemma
Melt-Banana
Melt-Banana is a truly one of a kind band. The band operates in the hardcore punk and grindcore lanes, but they do it with a level of frenetic chaos that is largely unmatched. Ichiro Agata not only pumps out catchy punk riffs, but also has a trademark style that involves lots of disorienting pitch-shifting and crazy digital stutters. Then there's lead vocalist Yasuko Onuki, who has a piercing, Mickey Mouse-tier yelp. I will warn you, it sounds laughable at first; you could say it is somewhat of an acquired taste. These two core members are the drivers of Melt-Banana's sound, although the duo is also joined by a power house bassist in the form of Rika Hamamoto, who will often lay down some pretty aggressive, busy parts. What further sets them apart from other bands though is their willingness to experiment with electronics. Grinding, industrial synths, random samples, digital vocal manipulations, and perhaps most shocking of all, entirely sequenced drums are all examples of some of the ways this band can make a racket. This doesn't make them any less authentic as a punk band, they're just a punk band from the future, or a distant planet.
The band's 2007 album Bambi's Dilemma, starts off with a bang. Spider Snipe opens with Agata's droning guitar as he alternates between voicings. A speedy eight count on open hi-hats launches you right into the fray with a great punk riff, Onuki's high-pitched shouts, and sequenced drums that alternate between a patient kick and snare groove and speedy blastbeats. The track has a killer chorus and a stunning ending where the drums just go off, Agata starts to throw in some crazy pitch effects, and Onuki's vocals are doubled up in a way that does not make her sound human. Cat Brain Land is another rager that packs a satisfying punch. The verses are almost devoid of guitars, getting by with just tightly sequenced drums, Onuki's vocals, and some very alien noises hovering in the back. This makes the chorus so much more punchy when the guitars and bass come in as the drums hammer away on the cymbals and snare. If you're looking for an easy in, then perhaps fast forward to Green Eyed Devil as it is easily the most infectiously catchy track. After a priming sequence of stuttering guitars in the intro, Agata plays a joyous guitar part that is again joined by busy drums and a driving bassline. Typically, all these sounds come together to create something very antagonistic and blood rushing, but in the case of this song - at the part I'm describing at the very least - it feels celebratory. Onuki later tries to sing a melody over this part, and while it's not perfect by pop standards, it has so much youthful energy and a sense of freedom to it. You can't not love it.
The album's first half delivers one perplexing, punk rager after another, however, beyond this point is where the album takes a shift. We get seven noise punk blasts, ranging between thirty and eighty seconds each. These tracks consist of nothing more than speedy, grindcore drums, modulated guitar feedback that 'bleep' and 'bloop' all over the place, and of course Onuki's signature yelps. They're neat, but really not all that memorable or as interesting, especially since you're pretty much hearing the same sounds for seven minutes straight. This is really the album's only misstep. After this portion of the record is over though, the band delivers it's wildest adventure to close things out. Last Target On the Last Day has those grinding industrial synths (or they could be guitars) I was talking about and the drums here are stuttering away, completely disregarding how fake it sounds when triggering the exact same drum sound consecutively. It kind of has a Prodigy vibe, but probably more closely resembles something Death Grips would have done on their instrumental Fashion Week album. In fact, I can almost draw a one-to-one comparison which totally blows my mind considering I love the sound of Fashion Week and this track predates it by eight years. It has this video game aesthetic, like Jet Set Radio Future but a little darker and on a much more foreign planet. I feel like I'm floundering trying to explain how it sounds, and if anything, that's a good indication of how unique and intriguing I find this piece to be. It was a really cool way to finish the album.
I would recommend Melt-Banana to anyone because of how singular that listening experience is, but I'm no fool. I know Melt-Banana is not gonna be for everyone, especially considering the cartoonish lead vocals. Hardcore punk fans I'm sure are no strangers to harsh noise and antagonistic music, but the way it is incorporated on this record I can see being tremendously obnoxious to some. For me though, it gets my blood pumping all the same. Thankfully, the production on this record is quite 'clean' and nicely balanced compared to the band's output in the 90s. It may not be the band's best album, but for this reason, I think Bambi's Dilemma serves as a great introduction to this phenomenal band from Japan.
8.2
Standouts: Spider Snipe, Cracked Plaster Cast, Cat Brain Land, Green Eyed Devil, Last Target On the Last Day
Punk, Hardcore, Experimental Rock (2007) A-Zap. Reviewed January 22nd, 2022