Melt-Banana

Few bands can match the intense excitement of Melt-Banana, which is most likely why none have ever tried. For the last 15 years, these Japanese noiseniks have existed in a world all their own, which has found doting fans in Mike Patton and Adult Swim, which commissioned them to write a song for Perfect Hair Forever. They’ve also managed to create quite the legacy, with a discography currently sitting at 23 EPs/singles, eight albums and numerous compilation appearances. Bambi’s Dilemma continues their foray into the uniformity of two-minute-sized song structures. Again, they keep pushing the melodic promise they’ve always hinted at, even more than ever on the teasingly paced "Cracked Plaster Cast” and punk-y anthem "The Call of the Vague.” But unlike Cell-Scape — where they averaged a whopping three minutes per song — Melt-Banana haven’t forgotten what they do best: abrupt bursts of hammering noise that sit around the minute mark. Bambi’s Dilemma actually works better as a double album, as side two shuns structure for chaos, and the band’s trademark ADD comes into effect. As well, a couple of standout noise experiments grace each side, delving into their idea of what doom sounds like: weighty droning peppered with persistent rhythmic interruptions that reveal another possible direction for these sonic terrorists to explore. With its unwavering ambition and imagination, Bambi’s Dilemma adds yet another notch to Melt-Banana’s bedpost of significant achievements.