Melt Banana

Charlie

1998

Personnel:

Yasuko Onuki:
vocal

Ichiro Agata:
guitar

Rika Chang (aka Rika Mm'):
bass

Youichiro Natsume:
drums

with
Trevor Dunn, Mike Patton, Trey Spruance, William Winant, Gregg Turkington, Bar McKinnon

Melt Banana has been near the top of a stellar hardcore scene in Japan since the mid-90s, but have steadily gained international acclaim through constant touring. They made a splash in America in 1995 opening for Mr. Bungle, and have since filled the noisy void left by Boredoms when that band went Krautrock.

Banana is fronted by Yasuko, who can be said to have one of the most distinctive vocal styles in all of rock. Actually, it's more of a shriek (or maybe a yelp), and you can usually tell an MB tune in the first couple of seconds just by her outbursts. Equally responisble for the band's rep is guitarist Agata. Add his hyperactive-nuclear-radar-scream style to the band's divebomb rhythm theory, and you get something akin to warp 9.5.

Introduction for Charlie: It starts with a low buzz, but wastes little time ushering in a buzzsaw guitar-as-turntable scratchfest. Then, the hardcore drums, shriek-flight, and it's 500 laps until the end. But wait, there's more! What distinguishes the music on Charlie from previous CDs is the use of electronics, and midway through this tune, the industrial effects hit. Future shock? Maybe. Cool band? Damn straight.