| CD REVIEW Banane Metalik |
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Band : Banane Metalik Although they have but 3 full-lengths out, this French “Gore ‘n’ Roll” (as they baptized themselves) band’s original formation goes back to 1992, when they released their Sanglantes Confessions demo album and immediatelly get international recognition. Gigs throughout Europe ensue, as does the release of the next full-length, 1994’s Requiem de la Dépravation! Due to its succes, that album is even re-issued and licenced out to Brazil, the US, and Japan! In spite of the positive conditions, the band is forced to split up in 1995! They return in early 2005 when asked to play a series of concerts in France and abroad. The fact that plenty of those dates were sold-old convinced the band that they still had a reason for existing, and so that same year they released their new album Sex, Blood And Gore ‘n’ Roll to positive reviews. In the ensuing live attack, the band assaults not only the whole of Europe, but also (again) Brazil, the US, and Japan…plus Russia! For the new album, the band (by the way, composed of Bananium, Rico, Ced666, Punkybones, and Boris XXX) decided to occasionally enhance their “Gore ‘n’ Roll” (actually an energized Garage Punk/ Rock with slap bass) with the addition of theremin and violin (check Strip Or Die”, for instance), tortured organ (check “Chair Et Tendre”), real weird trumpet (check “Santa Muerta”), and a couple of guest musicians (check Loran of Berurier Noir on “Fight La Propaganda”, plus Duche of Nevrotic Explosion and Laurent of Mass Murderers on “Viva Gore ‘n’ Roll”). Actually, the album was already released in 2008, but is only getting distribution here just now. Originally out on 14-track limited edition vinyl and digipak CD, the “re-issue” comes with bonus track “Sexorchist”, featuring Madcaps’s Ella in a duet with Bananium! That track, by the way, is the only one with completely English lyrics (which is funny enough, with both Bananium and Ella having a certain accennt)…the band for the most part using either completely French lyrics, or throwing in a little bit of (accented) English. Lyrically, the guys are on the “gore” side of things [(pre- and post-mortem) cannibalism, killing sprees,..] but also include the occasional socio-political (“Fight La Propaganda”) or B-rated Sci-fi flick influenced song (“Plan 69 From Outer Space”) and mold everything in an exhuberantly excited whole which they give both sexy and morbid portrayal of during live shows (aided in this by sexy Go-Go dancer Sushie Go-Gore, and the more morbid “Mister Ron” and “Executioner”). Plenty of material to be checked out at myspace.com/bananemetalik, although most of it in 30-second samples (you dó get a full-length track off each of their 3 albums)! With the album already out for a while, and their MySpace not updated since late 2007 except to post the new songs, I’m not sure what the band did already gigwize. In October they’re off to the US (and Mexico) for a total of 10 shows, and then theyre taking off some time again. Late November will see the band return to the stage, but the closest to Belgium I see on their calendar so far, is a gig at Eindhoven’s Speedfest(on Nov. 28). Nice stuff, this!!! 89/100 Tony. |