BABYMETAL — Metal Resistance (review)

BABYMETAL — Metal Resistance album cover

Album · 2016 · Alternative Metal

3/5 · 2016-04-01
Vim Fuego

Babymetal caused something of a shitstorm when they dropped their self-titled debut album on an unsuspecting metal world in 2014. Imagine anyone having the audacity to mix metal with a Japanese girl band!

It shouldn’t be allowed to happen. Metal is supposed to be a grass roots form of music, created by fans of the music for the music’s sake. J-Pop is supposed to be the exact opposite, a cynical construction of fiendish big-business record companies trying to screw stupid people out of their money by making music to the lowest common denominator. Combining the two could only be a flash-in-the-pan gimmick. Metal fans the world over were outraged at the manipulation of the music they hold so dear! The protests fell on deaf ears, and Babymetal’s music did not.

Gimmick or not, there’s a huge audience for this band now, and the fad has yet to run its course. The singers Su-metal, Yuimetal and Moametal are all former members of Japanese idol group Sakura Gakuin, which was further subdivided into sub-groups, or clubs, which eventually led to the formation of Babymetal. Babymetal’s music is fairly straight forward. It’s mostly standard melodic death/power metal, in the vein of Children of Bodom, with emphasis on strong pop melodies, spiced up with metallic riffs and double kick drums, all overlaid with pop vocals. These ingredients led to the self-titled debut album charting well all over the world.

And “Metal Resistance” is more of the same. The album kicks off with “Road of Resistance”, a collaboration with Sam Totman and Herman Li from DragonForce. As you’d expect from any track featuring Totman and Li, it’s hyperspeed shred with the three girls’ cutesy vocals over it, not far removed from DragonForce at all.

Second track “KARATE” is familiar, sounding like a heavier version of such European female fronted metal as Lacuna Coil, Nightwish or Within Temptation, although with the teen trio’s shrill vocals. On the track “Meta Taro”, the vocal melodies are infectious, and the harmonies are chanted. “From Dusk Til Dawn” features dub step breakdowns, which are a little distracting, but give the song some variety. “Sis.Anger” is one of the most metallic sounding songs the band has ever played, almost veering into full on death metal, with a growled backing vocal and blast beats. In the end though, this album starts to drag. Power ballad “No Rain, No Rainbow” is generic and dull. Closing track “THE ONE (English Version)” is an endurance test, which can’t finish soon enough.

Babymetal really makes so much more sense in a live setting. The live show the band puts on is visually impressive, with the three girls highly choreographed, and the focal point of the show. The metal musicians are deliberately masked and anonymous, and no one really pays much attention to them anyway. Compared to the live show, this whole album is a little deflating, and just a bit too slick. There are a few highlights, the DragonForce collaboration being one, but for serious metal fans, this is just a bit too thin on really gripping content.

Babymetal is neither the death of metal, nor it’s saviour. Love it or hate it, “Metal Resistance” is still going to sell truckloads.

more than 2 years ago
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siLLy puPPy wrote:

more than 2 years ago

There are always different levels of metal complexity including introductory artists liek the ones you mentioned. I actually still really like Marilyn Manson though. Never get tired of some of those early albums. I never got into Limp Bizket or Papa Roach though

Kingcrimsonprog wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I don't like this but I'm glad it exists. If it wasn't for turgid awful music like Poison in the late 80s, or Limp Bizkit in the late 90s... I or most fans I know wouldn't have gotten into Metal. I own about 30 Napalm Death releases, and it never would've happened if not for Marilyn Manson, Limp Bizkit and Pappa Roach being fun for school kids.

I hope this band gets massive, and causes a load of copycats and creates a big trend.
In five years time we'll all be feeling the benefits. (Even if the bands themselves aren't to our tastes).

voila_la_scorie wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I have a high school student - male - who first said that he hated them. Now he's changed his tune. As for me, I grew out of the high shrill vocals after once loving Shonen Knife. I don't dig it anymore and haven't for a long time.

siLLy puPPy wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Or Metal-San or Hello Metal or Akachan Metal or Kawaii Metal. I don't like their name. Did hear a couple tracks. Sounds like pop metal to me. Not really my thing but cute and cuddly

siLLy puPPy wrote:

more than 2 years ago

They shoulda called it Sushi Metal :P