Capitol Records
Out Now
Words by Greg Walker
Which band was your gateway to the metal universe? My introduction was way back in the mid- 1980s, instantly captivated by the TV advert for Def Leppard’s then-current album Pyromania, followed by Mötley Crüe’s Girls, Girls, Girls for obvious teenage boy reasons. These days, new fans are being drawn to our music and all the wonders, emotions, and experiences it holds via groups like Babymetal. A kawaii metal group formed in 2010 with the intent of fusing metal with J-pop and Japanese idol culture, Babymetal have grown from a curiosity to a festival drawcard to having genre-leading artists enthusiastically contributing not just their time but entire songs to Babymetal’s new album METAL FORTH.
There is no illusion that Babymetal isn’t a manufactured entertainment entity tapping the well of potential global popularity, and I think this transparent approach works for the group and its creators: I’ve written before that metal fans can sniff out a fake a mile off, yet seem to be embracing Babymetal’s honesty regarding their gimmick. Songs composed by session musicians, producers, and outside songwriters have harnessed a unique enough appeal to garner a worldwide following that surprised me at Brisbane’s Knotfest this year, gathering arguably as big and as involved a crowd as the headliners.
METAL FORTH boasts guest artists the likes of Poppy, Electric Callboy, Slaughter To Prevail, Bloodywood, Polyphia, Spiritbox and Tom Morello, exposing newcomers to the wide range of tastes available under our metal umbrella. Sensible marketing saw the advance singles all capitalising on the presence of up-and-coming artists and genre leaders: RATATATA (Electric Callboy), from me to u (Poppy), Song 3 (Slaughter To Prevail), Kon! Kon! (Bloodywood), and METALI!! (Tom Morello), all singles are a big reveal to this Babymetal novice that the guest artists are the composers and Babymetal are, in fact, the guests. Each of the above tracks heavily features the big names’ DNA, and this allows Babymetal to tackle any aspect of metal that’s put to them.
Standout tracks include Kon! Kon!, which spotlights Bloodywood’s take on Nu-Metal stirred in with Subcontinental flavours, returning the favour after last year’s Babymetal collab on their own single Bekhauf. This writer witnessed RATATATA firsthand at Knotfest, and oh my God, how the crowd responded! Hooky as hell, infectiously catchy and memorable, as bouncy as anything a mosh pit veteran could ask for. Song 3 weighs heavily with the brunt of Slaughter To Prevail’s density, Babymetal lending a delivery reminding me of The Chipmunks! Having said that, those of us who grew up in the 80s remember how wildly popular The Chipmunks’ music was, even if their studio trickery was simply a sped-up vocal track; it worked, as does Song 3, a collaboration that shouldn’t but really does.
From the percussive delivery of Song 3 to the flowy melodies laid over some beautiful Polyphia soundscapes, Sunset Kiss is easily my favourite track musically and it displays more versatility from Babymetal’s vocals than their usual J-pop/metal fare. Listening to METAL FORTH as a collection, Sunset Kiss was the most refreshing, most liberated track; full of breath and life, it’s not artistically condensed like some of the previous songs that stayed well within the respective lanes firmly established by each guest band’s careers. Sunset Kiss has sent me back down the Polyphia rabbit hole.
The first non-guest track KxAxWxAxIxI is intriguing, mainly electro-driven vs. a stuttering metal groove, but the whole thing never really takes off for me. Algorism has a huge feeling of Euro Power Metal, and closer White Flame is specifically DragonForce to my ear, brilliant feats of musicianship that don’t come across as contrived or forced, feeling authentic, which is a huge selling point for myself and many metalheads.
When asked about his guilty musical pleasures, Slipknot’s Corey Taylor once replied, “I don’t believe in guilty pleasures. Your heart knows better than your head what kind of music you like.” I still love classic Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe, and despite the modern iterations of these bands being different beasts to their heyday selves, I don’t care who knows that I love them still. While Babymetal is not entirely my cup of tea, there are a few gems to be found on METAL FORTH, and we welcome any new metal fans that will be drawn in by Babymetal’s albums and the theatre of their live extravaganza, and may we enthusiastically guide new fans to the ever-widening galaxy that is our awesome music.
