_{Review by Kayla Hamilton (@kaylazomboid)}

This is a curious release. Over the years I’ve found BABYMETAL to be one of those bands that I admired, respected and cheered on from the distance, but struggled to find myself really take the time to listen to.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t consider myself one of those metal elitists at all. It was just something in their sound that did not appeal to me specifically. So going into this album, I was already on the back foot, expecting not to really enjoy it.

I am happy to admit when I am wrong though and boy, was I wrong.

As somebody who frequently finds themselves wandering the streets of Tokyo- this album felt like a soundtrack to some of the odd adventures that I’ve experienced.

Let me explain.

Opening up this ambitious new album was their collaboration with Poppy. I know this came out some time ago but it must have slipped past me. Immediately I was drawn on. This is a collaboration to beat all collaborations. The hypnotic innocence of both artists vocals, blended together beautifully. Poppy’s banshee like screams gave this track the edge it needed, taking that saccharine like vibe of BABYMETAL into a new direction. It felt like wondering through Shibuya in the derelict hours. The neon paradise combined with the debauchary that stumbles across your path as you are trying to find a place to take a breath. 

Then the mood flips on its head as ‘RATATATA’ starts. Electric Callboy immediately bring in that pop vibe that turns this more from a straight metalcore track into a heavy J-POP infused Eurobeat masterpiece. This has all the feelings of slipping into an arcade, or as they call it in Japan, a game centre. The loud music blaring, combined with the cheesiness. From hitting the Dance Dance Revolution or Taiko drum games, to just that over whelming and over stimulating wave of colour and sound, it’s just a sonic representation of joy. It’s hard to knock this song because I’m a big advocate of making metal fun and this is the epitome of it.

Now, I’ve been honest from the top in this review and I will be honest again: I’m not a big fan of Slaughter To Prevail. ‘Song 3′ is possibly my least favourite song on the album and the more I listen to it, it’s not been able to grow on me. The introduction had me thinking that it was a Slipknot feature, but that is where my interest stayed and disappeared. Unlike ‘RATATATA’, the repetitive lyrics were a little grating and I think another artist may have been able to take this feature and run with it a little better. Again, this maybe coming from a place of heavy bias.

Fortunately, the Bloodywood feature pulled me straight back into the fold. I like how the vocals were a little more experimental and that the instrumental really captured the vibe and style of Bloodywood. It felt like a real back and forth. The grooves are addictive and the lyrical prowess of Bloodywood added to the story. ‘Kon! Kon!’ is an example of the diversity BABYMETAL can achieve in their sound, proving to somebody like me who has not been a fan in the past that they are a lot more dimensional than what has been marketed. Beyond a gimmick and presenting a serious presence in the metal landscape.

‘KxAxWxAxIxI’, one of the only straight up BABYMETAL tracks on the album left me a little confused but I tried to really get into the spirit of it. Again, I feel like I’ve been thrown back into the eclectic streets of Shibuya. Walking the hills between the live houses and the nightclubs. A lean on that pop sensibilities, that would not be a out of place in the current K-Pop sphere- an influence that is also infiltrating the Japanese scene as of late. At the same time, it was less Kawaii metal and a little more gyarucore. It has a vibe that shows a more mature BABYMETAL from their previous songs about chocolate and sweets. I don’t dislike it, but I still think I’m trying to wrap my head around it.

Without even looking at the track listing, as soon as ‘Sunset Kiss’ kicked in, I knew it was Polyphia feature. As I just mentioned, BABYMETAL seem to be stepping out with a more mature sound and this track fully encompasses the more adult sound in the member’s voices. Obviously they aren’t little girls anymore and this album has been a great showcase of that. ‘Sunset Kiss’ is a pretty little number, and while it is not an album stand out, it does have it’s place and there is nothing really bad you can say about it. 

This works well though because obviously ‘My Queen’ is meant to be a stand out on this release. For good reason. A Spiritbox collaboration feels inevitable and it just works oh so well. Again, I feel like the band are moving beyond this more gimmicky Kawaii Metal sound and more into a straight up, just powerful metal presence. Courtney Laplante brings this track full circle in this evolution of womanhood. Less saccharine than the Poppy feature. Dare I say it, from Princess to Queen status. It has that real classic metal feel and once Courtney’s vocals kick in, it just elevates it to a modern metal powerhouse performance. Probably my favourite BABYMETAL collaboration since Bring Me The Horizon.

‘Algorism’ is another straight BABYMETAL song and it works on all levels. It is giving anime/video game soundtrack. If you asked me to describe a pretty standard Japanese metal sound, this is the example I would give. I would not pick it was Babymetal straight away. It has a real Gundam OST vibe to it, something I feel like High & Mighty Color would release. Which is awesome, because it means that the band, despite their global success truly retains their roots as a Japanese band and that is great. No conformity to a gimmick nor to a trend.

The shamisen at the start of ‘METAL!!’ had me hooked straight away. Unlike in ‘Song 3’, the repetition of the Japanese lyrics were used in a real ear pleasing way. Tom Morello brought with him a diverse sonic palette for them to dip into, as he does, and it has resulted in a truly unique ditty. I’m a sucker for the blending of traditional instruments with modern metal plus adding that experimental noise music element, ‘METAL!!’ Is a real hidden gem on this album.

Finishing off with another just BABYMETAL song, ‘White Flame ー白炎ー’ provides a playground for the Kami band to show off. From epic guitar solos to blistering drumming. Upon first listen I actually went to check to see if this was a Dragonforce collaboration. It is an example of the minds behind the phenomena that is BABYMETAL and how they are fearless in their approach to songwriting. They reach, they dip and they mesh styles, elements and sounds with a focused mission to create music that is so accessible. 

All in all, METAL FORTH is a heck of a ride. There is a little something for everybody.

The major takeaway here though is that BABYMETAL are here to stay. They are long past being a gimmick act. This album is a step towards a more mature sound and just showcases their ability to really work and path their way through the metal landscape. 

It’s turned this skeptic into a listener.

7.5/10

_{METAL FORTH is out now.
Listen here now.}