REVIEW: Genre-Bending Kawaii Metal Titans BabyMetal Release METAL FORTH

August 24, 2025 BearlySinister 0 All Posts, Bands, Genre, Metal, Pop, Reviews, Rock,

Artist: BabyMetal
Album: METAL FORTH
Label: Capitol Records

Formed in 2010 as a sub-unit of Japanese idol group, Sakura Gackuin, it didn’t take long for BabyMetal, to make waves. This international phenomenon, comprised of 3 super talented vocalists/dancers and backed by a group of musicians referred to as the “Kami Band,” blends elements of J-Pop and traditional metal to create a genre of music that they affectionately refer to as “Kawaii Metal.” Think action-packed anime sequences but beefed up by high-production and killer riffs. Sounds interesting right? The band has been continuously praised by the likes of Tom Morello, Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers and so many more. They have four captivating, genre-bending releases under their belts: Babymetal (2014), Metal Resistance (2016), Metal Galaxy (2019), The Other One (2023). In their illustrious career, these powerful artists have won a total of 25 of the 31 awards that they have been nominated for. These include: MTV Music Awards Japan “Best Metal Artist,” GQ Men‘s “Discovery of the Year” award, NEO‘s “Best Musical Act” and countless awards from Loudwire Music Awards. Each album has it’s own flavor to it, never bending to trends and ever-experimental but if you thought that they were anywhere near done… you’ve got another thing coming. Their newly-released, 5th studio album, METAL FORTH, is their most ambitious to date. Even hitting #9 on the Billboard charts within its first week of release. But what can we expect that, perhaps, hasn’t been done by the group on their other four albums? Let’s dive right into it.

The album opens up with what has been lauded as one of the best collaborations in recent history, “From me to u” which features another sonic enigma in Poppy. The song itself kicks off with a rallying cry of “Let’s go!” and features Su-Metal‘s first return to her native language within music for quite some. When asked about the meaning of the song and using the lyric “kimi ni todoke” (the song’s name in Japanese), she is quoted as saying: “I had written ‘kimi ni todoke’ in a journal I had a couple years ago; I liked the way it felt to sing. I thought, if I ever spoke Japanese in a song again , I’d like to use it.” As with all Babymetal songs, it’s got a ton of energy but their collaborations in particular always favor the artist they’re collaborating with. For example, “from me to u,” has a gritty, nu-metal feel and even some industrial overtones. Poppy‘s latest album, Negative Spaces featured a lot of the same sonic influence. This lends well to the call-and-response nature of the collaboration. The song appears to reference betrayal, the thought of revenge and the idea of finding someone to fill the void before the demons take over. The album is filled with collaborative tracks, featuring Indian metal phenoms (and tour partners) Bloodywood, the Russian Grizzly (Alex Terrible from Slaughter to Prevail) and a dark, ethereal track called “My Queen” featuring Courtney LaPlante of Spiritbox. While the importance of these collaborations cannot be understated, they were all pre-release singles so let’s dive into the rest of the album and circle back to those. For example, trap-metal tinged “KxAxWxAxIxI,” which stresses the importance of not judging a book by it’s cover. The sweetest of flowers can be the most poisonous and the lyrics (both Japanese and English) mirror this. In fact, the chorus is just a repeated call in Japanese of “I’m cute, right? You like cute things, right?” Before the verses delve into the danger of underestimating the power that something labeled as “cute” can hold. Kawaii, “cute” in the Japanese language, has been adapted to reference anything in Japanese culture that can be adorned with this moniker. The one collaboration that was NOT released as a single, “Sunset Kiss” and featuring Texan guitar-prodigies, Polyphia, is set up more like a J-Pop song with plenty of electronics and slinky riffs abounding. It’s cool that they took the chance and let them solo on the track, as well, which adds that true Polyphia flavor to it. Now we can begin to dive into the collaborative tracks and, by far, one of the most poignant tracks on this album is “My Queen.” This djent-filled track is mysterious, dark and ethereal and will pull you in from the first note. The influence in Spiritbox’s sound for this track is evident from the getgo. Crushing, low-tuned chugs, Mike Stringer‘s unforgettable precisely-crafted riffs taking center stage before Courtney explodes within the track. This track seems to be referring to the presence of a dark queen who will bring ruin to the band’s enemies. LaPlante expertly embodies this entity, both in song and on screen (see the video below.) The first single released from the album, featuring Tom Morello, is titled “METALI!” Put simply, this track is about the band’s loves for Metal culture, specifically Metal festivals. The track is a call to dance like a fool and have fun, throwing caution to the wind and embracing the moment. Morello’s solo is perhaps one of my favorites I’ve ever heard in his career. This track is fun, it’s bouncy and it’s one of few that can be taken at its face value, rather than multiple meanings. “Kon! Kon!,” affectionally named for the sound that foxes make, is a killer blend between Japanese and Indian culture. The song draws heavily from Yokai, supernatural demons and the playful, yet mysterious nature of foxes/fox spirits. Bloodywood‘s contribution evokes a sense of pride, perseverance and strength as a culture. You can view animated video for this one below, as well. The final track on the album, “White Flame,” is perhaps my favorite Babymetal track to date. The song starts off with blast beats before getting into it’s typical kawaii style but it’s the blazing and flashy, dual-guitar solos that really make this song pop off. Lyrically, it seems to be referencing chasing your dreams to the end. There are references to a blue star, the white-hot intensity of sunlight and an intense sense of faith. I am sure that, if you have read the graphic novel that the band released, there is a lot more to this that I am not privy to. Regardless, this track is an amazing closer to a phenomenal album.

For those that think that Babymetal is a gimmick, METAL FORTH states the contrary. In fact, the very title references putting metal above all, embracing each and every nuance of the genre and bending it to their will. Having up-and-comers as well as legends join them, goes to show the respect that the community has shown to these 3 phenomenal spirits. These Fox-God worshipping soldiers continue to fight for the future of what it means to be Metal. METAL FORTH is out now, via Capitol Records and can be bought/streamed below. In addition, the band is wrapping up their current tour with their biggest headliner to date at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Be sure to get your tickets while they’re available!

Buy/Stream METAL FORTH

BABYMETAL Official Web Site http://www.babymetal.com

BABYMETAL Official Facebook / babymetal.jp