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The mysterious Fox God has reared its head yet again, and in doing so, has brought with it a new offering. The gift? Brand new BABYMETAL.
With 4 mammoth albums already tucked safely under their belts, the Japanese trio had to really push the boat out for their 5th. They have already smashed down countless boundaries within the metal genre by implementing new and fresh sounds, surely they can’t demolish anymore? Well, on their new album Metal Forth (meaning ‘beyond metal’) they definitely have – they already had big shoes to fill in the general scope of things, but fill them they did.
Safe to say, the record is absolutely STACKED when it comes to guest appearances and special features in particular. In fact, the first 4 songs on the record are all tracks that feature collaborations from the latest and greatest upcoming metal bands and artists from all across the globe! On the first track from me to u, the girls enlist help from the mysterious and captivating Poppy, who has released music in the past spanning genres such as reggae, art pop, and now metalcore. MOAMETAL and MOMOMETAL kick the record off with a bouncy “Let’s go!” as the half-heavy/half-electronic riff that ensues blasts its way into your ears – the musical blueprint to Kawaii Metal.
After that, we take a tour around the world with RATATATA, featuring everybody’s favourite tekkno metal band Electric Callboy, who provide us with another crushing dance metal track that sounds like it would be fit for a Eurovision entry! Kevin Ratajczak and Nico Sallach trade clean and unclean vocals during the verses, as SU, MOA, and MOMO handle the bouncy choruses, in one of the record’s most impressive tracks.
Next up, we venture further east into Russia, with the aptly named Song 3 featuring the deathcore legends Slaughter to Prevail. The mixture of pitched-up Japanese vocals and Alex Terrible’s guttural growling gives the song a terrifying spin, one that actually unsettled me upon listening to it for the first time, but in the best way possible.
Finishing our 4 song tour around the world, we find ourselves in New Delhi for the track Kon! Kon! with the Indian hard-hitters Bloodywood, who have essentially blown up in popularity over the past few years with their eccentric blend of traditional Indian music and, of course, metalcore. In the verses, SU-METAL sings Japanese lyrics but in an Indian style, which is interesting and weirdly works, and a bit later on, Bloodywood vocalist Raoul Kerr lets loose with a classic nu-metal flow. A lot has already happened on this record and keep in mind, we’re not even halfway in yet!
Even though the special guest tracks were already proving themselves to be legendary, that’s not to say that the feature-less songs are any less exciting. KxAxWxAxIxI (or CxUxTxE in English) is a perfect example of how good they can be without the help of another band or artist. Don’t let the trap/hip-hop introduction fool you, though; it’s not one of those tracks, as it will suddenly U-turn into one of the heaviest and, well, evil-sounding songs on the entire album, what with its manic guitar work and punchy drums creating a panic-infused background.
Algorism is another highlight, with its hyperpop opening acting as proof of how influential they have become for fellow bands in the genre, such as Bring Me the Horizon and Lake Malice. The track has got easily one of the most catchiest choruses on the whole album, and the whole song just sounds as if it’s come from an early 2000s anime fight scene. BABYMETAL’s backing band, the Kami Band, shine exceptionally bright on this song, helping to create a 3 and a half-minute-long song that begs to be repeated again and again and again.
Metal Forth is the first album to feature their touring-member-turned-official-member MOMOMETAL, who does backing vocals alongside MOAMETAL – and what an entrance she has made. It’s easily their best record since their 2014 self-titled debut, and is one that highlights their continuous journey to global stardom, and perfectly shows how they have evolved musically. What was once a band that turned into an overnight viral sensation has quickly turned into a band that has become a heavy metal staple, one that continues to influence both the sound and style of the genre. And long may it continue!
METAL FORTH is released via Capitol Records on Friday, 8th August. More information, HERE
Review – Joe Richardson
Live images – credit Rob Wilkins
