Melt-Banana – “Fetch” – ALBUM REVIEW

Melt-Banana “Fetch”

For the past 20 years or so, one band has fused noisy hardcore punk with synthesized Japanese-flavored pop music like no other band in human history. That band is known as Melt-Banana, and they are part of the somewhat vaguely classified “Japanoise” genre. Melt-Banana are on the sweeter side of artists like Incapacitants, Merzbow, C.C.C.C., Masonna, and other Japanese noise artists we all know and love. However, it’s been a good six years or so since we last heard from the beloved Melt-Banana. Finally they’re back with an incredible new release that combines the high-pitched squeaking voice of Yasuko Anuki and the fast-paced, over saturated distorted guitars that seem to stack on top of themselves with even more distortion and synthesizing.

“Fetch,” the new album from Melt-Banana, is definitely not too much of a change of pace for the group. It’s still ridiculously fast-paced high-energy playing, but it’s also just so fun. I can’t stop listening to Melt-Banana or this album because even though their songs are fairly unorthodox in both the fields of punk music and pop music, there’s something so catchy about it all that really stands out in my head. I don’t really know what’s being said on this album, but I do know that it makes me want to rock out and dance.

Melt-Banana is not a band for everybody. They’re way too noisy for the people who listen to exclusively pop music, and the vocals may annoy punk elitists who still haven’t gotten used to Yo-Landi from Die Antwoord’s voice.  It’s not the most listenable album of the year and probably not Melt-Banana’s best, but it’s short, sweet as sugar, and ridiculously hardcore.

SCORE – 8.5

FAVORITE TRACKS – Candy Gun, The Hive, Infection Defective, My Missing Link, Schemes of the Tails, Lie Lied Lies, Zero