From Poppy to power metal: Babymetal’s “Metal Forth” is a sonic grab bag! – review of their new album

When you know, you know; when you don’t, you lose out. Whether you call it sugar metal or kawaii, you can’t ignore Babymetal‘s 15 years on the scene. Babymetal‘s next album, “Metal Forth,” due out on August 8th with Capitol Records, showcases incredible collaborations from artists such as Spiritbox, Poppy, Bloodywood, and Slaughter To Prevail, among many others. The band has released three singles so far, so you’ll have to read my review.

The band establishes an exciting tone with their selection of “From Me to U” as the album’s first track, featuring Poppy‘s mesmerising introduction. Taking cues from bands like Ankor and channelling a throwback Game Boy aesthetic, the song reverberates with the young vitality of modern music. In keeping with the high quality of the previous contributions, Electric Callboy‘s “RATATATA” riff is particularly memorable and will stay with you long after the song has ended.

Everything in “Song 3” is devoid of any dancefloor energy, replaced instead by the band’s delicate vocals and the loud, acid guitar riffs from Slaughter To Prevail. The collaboration with Bloodywood on “Kon! Kon!” is a fascinating exploration of cultural fusion, blending Indian and Japanese influences in a way that made me question who is featuring whom in the song. When we reach the fourth song, “KxAxWxAxIxI,” the musical dynamic shifts even more, and I find myself wondering whether this is the sound that Babymetal should go for. “Sunset Kiss” offers a delightful twist, evoking vivid anime soundtracks and showcasing the intricate melodies of Polyphia. While the playful vibe occasionally overshadows the complexity of the instrumentation, it invites multiple listens to fully appreciate its depth. I found it quite interesting that this song is placed before “My Queen,” which features a collaboration with Spiritbox and introduces a new dynamic to the album. Courtney LaPlante’s powerful vocals cut through the melodic layers, adding an exciting edge to the track.

While “Algorism” exemplifies the band’s unique style with its joyful and dramatic aspects seamlessly blended, “METAL!!” features Tom Morello’s guitars, which combine his traditional signature riffs with oriental orchestration to generate epic stadium emotions. “White Flame,” the last song, deviates from the band’s usual style with its power metal elements. It stands out on the record, in my opinion, due to its exquisite guitar work and nostalgic percussion rhythms that remind me of Dragonforce.

Like a bag of mixed candies, overall the album is full of colourful tastes and surprises with each track. The production is onpoint and the details of each songs is meticulous calculated. But I worry that the band’s many collaborations may water down its sound and make fans wonder whether Babymetal isn’t just a diluted version of itself. By putting the singles at the front, the producers hope that listeners will listen to them right away, maybe to the detriment of the more interesting tunes that are located towards the end. Judge for yourself on the 8th of August!

Tracklist:

1. From Me To U (feat. Poppy)
2. RATATATA (feat. Electric Callboy)
3. Song 3 (feat. 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