Review
Melt Banana
Bambi's Dilemma

Listening to Melt Banana carries a list of requirements:

• Deal with the vocals.
• Deal with annoying noises.
• If you can't handle the speed and the fury, don't even bother.

If you can embrace these qualities fully, you can totally understand why Melt Banana is such an important figure in noise rock. They slush together punk and noise rock elements and in some demonic, and completely unnecessary way, create songs that are more or less made for intense ninja fighting. Actually, scratch that, it's more like a squirrel revolution where somehow they take over the humans and declare the freedom to the pursuit of sex, nuts, and rock n roll for all.

To hard to comprehend? Well Bambi's Dilemma is a great place to start. Unlike their previous album, Cell Scape, Melt Banana has put together an album that lasts. When I say lasts, I mean it's longer, when I say it's longer, I mean it. Sort of. None of the songs, besides the last one, "Last Target on the Last Day," last more than two minutes and forty seconds. Why does this matter? Why do you care? Well it's actually a test. What can they do to keep your attention within the limitation of two minutes or less? You'd be surprised.

From dogs barking, to Japanese screaming, to effects that are anything but pragmatic, you name it; Melt Banana has probably already played with or considered it. So, the question arises. Why do you want to listen to noise rock when, in the end it just hurts your ears? Well the answer is simple, there is nothing like it. Melt Banana, on Bambi's Dilemma especially, have composed a noise rock album worth listening to. At times it's catchy, at times it's ambient, and it's of course noisy.

The problem with this whole instance is, you either love noise rock or you hate it. So trying to persuade someone that this is a good album is extremely difficult. However, even for those who want to try noise rock for the first time, should start here. This of course is debatable, but I think this is at least one of the albums one should start with. Why? Because it carries all the favorite elements that noise rock fans enjoy. The punk whispers, the weird chord progressions, the intense bass destruction sequences, the vocals (and lyrics in many cases) that don't make any sense what so ever, and let's not forget the random noise clips that make us think, "What the

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So Melt Banana has a bad rep in many places, especially for no wave fans. Regardless, find this album and give it a chance. Find a clip on the Internet, anything. It's worth your time. I mean they're Japanese, what more could you want?