Review by Alastair Butterworth
Released 8 August
Universal Music
BABYMETAL have become a known name in the metal community over the last 15 years for their blend of kawaii and metal. Their new album METAL FORTH explores the future of metal as envisioned by Babymetal that pushes the genre into new territories with stunning collaborations that blend together seamlessly. The name means “Beyond Metal”, and the album truly reflects that name with some of its masterfully crafted tracks not only following Babymetals kawaii-metal genre, but blending in styles of the other artists such as Bloodywood, Poppy and Electric Callboy in a way that just works perfectly and demonstrates what can be created though collaboration.
I had only had a chance to listen to two songs from the album before I strapped in and listened to it in its entirety. Kicking off with ‘From Me To You‘ featuring Poppy. The moment the track starts you’re met with high energy. It was a nice way to kick off with a nice build-up throughout. I adore listening to Poppy and how she goes from the sweet voice to the fierce vocals. The collaboration worked well, and something I enjoy with all the collaborations on this album is it truly feels that way and not just a quick few lines by the featured artist but instead a true song, blending both artists’ styles together to create something new. The song sets the tone nicely for the album and gets you ready for some of what’s ahead.
The second track ‘RATATATA‘, featuring Electric Callboy, is a catchy song with lyrics that will be stuck in your head for days. The song blends the electronic style of Electric Callboy and the cute metal of Babymetal well. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of the song, but I can appreciate the catchy party anthem and how clean the song sounds. ‘Song 3‘ is a personal favourite of mine in the mix of this whole album. Featuring Slaughter To Prevail, the song is heavy from the get-go. As someone who learnt Japanese for a while there, I found myself enjoying the lyrics and the play on words featured in the song. This had a really great balance between the two groups and pushed both to incorporate each other’s signature elements, which blended perfectly together. BABYMETALS’ sweet and cute vocals are balanced well with Alex Terrible’s brutal and ferocious growls. Not only creating a headbanging, dance-worthy song, but one that is equally fun and had me smiling while listening. I can already imagine how much fun this song would be live. It’s a high-energy song that’s got me hooked and will be going into my daily mix.
The album continues with another awesome collaboration with ‘Kon Kon!’ Featuring Bloodywood. This is another fun song with an amazing balance and collaboration. The way they manage to let the bands’ respective Japanese and Indian influences shine is something that cannot be forgotten. It’s an explosive mix full of harmonious goodness, which I was hooked on from the second this track started playing. Next up, ‘KxAxWxAxlxl‘ gave me a bit of whiplash. The first solo song of the group on the album, and I didn’t know how to feel. It was sort of a hip-hop meets metal vibe, which I was unsure about. It was a surprise, and I love seeing groups explore different types of music. But personally, I don’t think I’ll be giving this song a listen again anytime soon, but I can appreciate the flow and instrumentals of the song but out of all the tracks for me this one felt the most out of place within the mix.
‘Sunset Kiss‘ was another surprise for me. This song felt nostalgic in a way. It had a dreamy feel to it, layered with some stunning guitar solos by Polyphia. Initially, I felt the song was too different, but it quickly grew on me with its bright playfulness in the mix of an otherwise mostly heavy album. I feel like the best way to describe this song is a 2000s anime opening that you would hear and know you’re in for an awesome and heartbreaking time.
‘My Queen‘ featuring Spiritbox is a banger. It’s fierce, heavy and has emotional depth. Courtney LaPlante’s vocals are fantastic; her signature power screams slice through the track, combined with Su-Metals‘ clean vocals they blend sweetly together. I find each listen I would notice more and more of what’s going on and fall more in love with the track.
‘Algorism‘ is another cleverly constructed song in the mixture. It felt like a beautiful, nostalgic frenzy. The song hit me with a nostalgia I cannot quite describe, but the words that keep screaming at me feels very Gothic Lolita.
‘METALI!!!‘ Featuring Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello has been around for a minute but is still a great song and flows well with the album. It features traditional Japanese rhythms, choruses that can be shouted easily and a chaotic vibe with a fun studio mix, and as someone who is yet to see Babymetal live, I can just imagine how fun this song is live after seeing videos on social media.
White Flame ー白炎ー wraps up the album perfectly. It feels exactly like you would expect from Babymetal and returns to their classic vibes, and closes the album on a high note. It feels like a perfectly cinematic and strong ending to the unique album that is METAL FORTH. It’s a high-paced, high-energy song with stunning guitar work that really wraps it up perfectly and brings you back to the roots of Babymetal.
METAL FORTH is a statement of the band’s growth and its willingness to embrace other genres and styles of music. The collaborations are truly what make this album a fun listen. The experimentation, collaboration and blends of different styles create a unique listening experience, which I feel deepens the more I listen. The album demonstrates the evolution of metal and what can be done by thinking outside of the box and having fun with what you create.
Rating: 7.5/10
Stream/Purchase METAL FORTH here
BABYMETAL – METAL FORTH tracklisting:
1. from me to u (feat. Poppy)
2. RATATATA (BABYMETAL x Electric Callboy)
3. Song 3 (BABYMETAL x Slaughter to Prevail)
4. Kon! Kon! (feat. Bloodywood)
5. KxAxWxAxIxI
6. Sunset Kiss (feat. Polyphia)
7. My Queen (feat. Spiritbox)
8. Algorism
9. METALI!! (feat. Tom Morello)
10. White Flame ー白炎ー
