Babymetal
Metal Forth
Capitol
The irresistible force that is Babymetal shows no sign of slowing down with this inventive fifth outing. Featuring a series of collaborations the dynamic of the band has shifted from their original Kawaii foundations to something with far more maturity. That’s not to say the cuteness has disappeared, it’s just progressed naturally. The music is technically top tier, isn’t everything out of Japan? But the writing is high quality too with surprises galore that make the most of the unique band set up. We’ve all heard the excellent ‘Ratatata’ featuring Electric Callboy, a benchmark set so high it’s in nosebleed territory. Well there are equally superb tracks where they partner Bloodywood, Polyphia and Spiritbox among others. They show a knack for finding common ground with each artist while still maintaining that all important thread of continuity. Su-Metal continues to impress as lead vocalist with her quite exceptional versatility. She is the perfect counterbalance to some of the guest screamers. Metal Forth is another leap forward for a band that seems certain to grow their already A-list status for years to come.
Review by Gary Trueman