ALBUM REVIEW: METAL FORTH (BABYMETAL)

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When Japanese trio BABYMETAL first broke beyond their homeland, many took the inclusion of the word "metal" in their name as an excuse to immediately balk at the idea of three females unafraid of incorporating Japanese pop elements, theatricality and avant-garde aesthetics into heavy music. But since this metal fusion phenomenon launched back in the 2010s, BABYMETAL have blazed their own trail into dizzying heights, from opening for Lady Gaga through to snagging public fans in the likes of Tom Morello, Judas Priest, Rob Zombie and countless others.

Releasing their debut self-titled album in 2014, BABYMETAL's kawaii metal foundations also folded in moments of reggae, industrial, pop, hip hop and more, with a fever dream quality that also firmly planted its feet on solid ground via the group's razor-sharp vision and delivery. Since then, fans have been treated to 2016's Metal Resistance, 2019's Metal Galaxy and the conceptual 2023 outing The Other One. But it's ultimately in 2025 that BABYMETAL completely embrace their crown as modern day pioneers, with METAL FORTH offering a benchmark in collaboration, obliterating genre confines and proving that metal can come in all shapes and sizes. In short, this is a kaleidoscope of monumental proportions for anyone unafraid to leave expectations at the door.

METAL FORTH opens with a high octane punch: from me to u, featuring the dark queen herself, the enigmatic Poppy, and production from Jordan Fish (ex-Bring Me The Horizon). A frenetic maelstrom of urgent beats and brawny riffs set against neon pop flourishes, as well as harsh and kawaii vocal interplay, the blend between Japanese and English lyrics also sets a firm scene for the cross-cultural delights lying in wait throughout METAL FORTH; which brings us to track #2. Teaming up with German heavy party-starters Electric Callboy, BABYMETAL shift into one of the biggest earworms of the past few years: RATATATA. An instant dancefloor instigator, RATATATA once again pulses with twitching kawaii metal, but this time we're also gifted electronica and dance pop wizardry as both BABYMETAL and Electric Callboy lay everything on the line firing at their bombastic best between blistering breakdowns and ear-candy verses.

From here, the collabs and cross-cultural vibes keep rolling, with the savagery of Song3 arriving next boasting not one, not two, but three languages as BABYMETAL and Russian behemoths Slaughter To Prevail serve up a deathcore-laced sucker punch - and also with a bonus feature via Trivium's Matt Heafy on the shamisen (a Japanese stringed traditional instrument). And from here, we head East, with Indian folk metal mavericks Bloodywood adding some palpitating spice to the delirious fun that is KON! KON! (and if you're a fan of this particular team up, you definitely should be familiar with Bloodywood's earlier BABYMETAL collab on the high-octane tune Bekhauf which featured on Bloodywood's killer album Nu Delhi).

Next up we swagger into some heaving hip hop futurism via KxWxIxI before a welcome return feature with instrumental prog rockers Polyphia on Sunset Kiss (following on from the first BABYMETAL x Polyphia outing landing on 2019's Metal Galaxy single Brand New Day). An animated and entirely affable cut, Sunset Kiss boasts the buoyant dexterity and syncopation of Polyphia alongside a backdrop of city pop and BABYMETAL's sharp yet glossy edges. And between the industrial gem that is MY QUEEN, featuring Spiritbox, and the emphatic beautiful frenzy of Algorism, BABYMETAL spread their wings further across welcome genre twists and turns; and it ain't over yet! METAL FORTH pulls out some tantalisingly big guns on its penultimate track, welcoming Tom Morello onto METALI!. For any Aussie fans who caught BABYMETAL at Knotfest earlier this year, METALI! will definitely be familiar fare, and it's easy to see why this track lends itself to a festival setting in particular with its offbeat stylings and the searing axe-slinging from Mr. Morello. And with a larger-than-life kiss goodbye, METAL FORTH closes out with White Flame, a speed metal affair full of flair that feels equally climactic and triumphant as it blasts you into another galaxy.

For an album titled METAL FORTH, BABYMETAL resoundingly embody taking metal audaciously forward into new terrain with this latest endeavour. And while the star-studded collaborations absolutely lend a level of excitement and rapture, at its core METAL FORTH worships innovation and technicality along with an undeniable sense of self, also brandishing ridiculous levels of fun that only BABYMETAL could cohesively achieve. There's no one-size-fits-all when it comes to metal in 2025, and there's no band quite like BABYMETAL. Marry those two concepts together and you arrive with a record that celebrates unpredictability that transcends language, time and space.

METAL FORTH - OUT AUGUST 8 VIA CAPITOL RECORDS

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BY TIANA SPETER