ALBUM REVIEW: METAL FORTH – BABYMETAL

If you spun a wheel teeming with metal and rock’s biggest names in the last 3 years, and set out on a mission to gather as many of them as possible on one record, you would probably end up with something similar to METAL FORTH. Japan’s ‘kawaii metal’ pioneers BABYMETAL celebrated their 15th anniversary as a band this year, and return to the charts with METAL FORTH, a ten-track whirlwind of collaborations and genre experiments, following 2019’s METAL GALAXY and 2023’s concept album THE OTHER ONE. This album, stacked with features from metal and rock’s most boundary-pushing acts like POPPY, ELECTRIC CALLBOY, SPIRITBOX, BLOODYWOOD and more, feels like a high-stakes gamble. While it lacks the cohesive flow of their earlier work, METAL FORTH proves BABYMETAL are far from stagnant, even if the execution is a little uneven.

The album opens with from me to u, a shimmering yet sinister duet with POPPY, blending BABYMETAL’s signature sweetness with industrial-tinged aggression. The duality of the women’s vocals is astounding and an absolute feast for the ears. It’s a strong start and sets the tone for the whole album – divisive, confident, upbeat. It’s immediately followed by RATATATA, a hyperactive banger with the German party-metal outfit ELECTRIC CALLBOY. Both tracks feel quintessentially BABYMETAL despite the new direction, and exemplify their knack for balancing saccharine melodies with crushing riffs – they somehow feel cute AND hardcore. Both POPPY and ELECTRIC CALLBOY are incredibly fun collaborations, tactfully choosing vocalists who can switch it up from sweet to screamo. With this however, the latter’s EDM-metal fusion may alienate the purists that have come to adore the Japanese trio. 

But just when you think a BABYMETAL evolution is underway, along comes Song 3, featuring the controversial SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL – a jarring pivot into deathcore and a somewhat disappointing return to the ‘classic’ BABYMETAL metal sound. While Alex Terrible’s gutturals deliver an admittedly punishing breakdown, Su-metal’s usually dynamic vocals feel oddly flat, as if struggling to match the song’s brutality, which is a shame. The blend between the two bands is uneven and the result is less a true collaboration and more a SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL track with BABYMETAL awkwardly grafted on.

Kon! Kon!, featuring the titans BLOODYWOOD fares much better, and immediately opens with a cascade of traditional Indian drums. Whilst the fusion of heavy guitar riffs and J-pop exuberance is nothing new, what is unexpected is the Carnatic influence to the girls’ vocals; it’s marmite-y, and you’ll either love it or hate it, but the gamble is highly regarded. The Hindi-Japanese-English lyrics are delightful, though the production feels choppy and disjointed, as if the two bands recorded separately and stitched their parts together in post (likely given the distance, but either way, should not be identifiable). Even though the bridge falls flat of delivering that ‘oomph’ the song needs, the track’s sheer boldness earns points for creativity.

One may question how much of this genre exploration is down to BABYMETAL or from their collaborations but the album’s midpoint delivers its most thrilling surprise. KxAxWxAxIxI is a revelation; a swaggering trap-metal hybrid with distorted bass, eerie vocal effects, and a refreshing rap breakdown that feels like a natural evolution for the group. Whilst the ‘kawaii metal’ pioneers are known for their uplifting childlike lyrics, this feels mature – the growls at the end are dark and playful, and this easily their most forward-thinking track. Very ‘girlypop’, as the alternative kids online say.

You never know what to expect from BABYMETAL, and Sunset Kiss – featuring POLYPHIA – could easily be mistaken as a slice-of-life anime closing song. It feels disjointed following KxAxWxAxIxI, but once again, stylistically BABYMETAL have made another jump in a new direction. POLYPHIA delivers a sweet not-too-heavy breakdown, making it one of the lightest listens on the album. If there is one thing Su-metal, Moametal and Momometal are showing with METAL FORTH, it’s that they aren’t one trick ponies, but at the sacrifice of creating an album that isn’t satisfying to listen to from beginning to end. 

My Queen, featuring SPIRITBOX, is the stand-out song of the record, with Courtney LaPlante’s haunting presence elevating the song into modern metalcore excellence. SPIRITBOX’s influence is undeniable here, with Mike Stringer’s identifiable STX6 ringing throughout, but it truly feels like a collaboration. Su-metal’s vocals take on a newfound dark depth, trading her usual pristine vibrato-less delivery for something powerfully raw and sinister. Meanwhile, Algorism leans into something different and infuses hyperpop into the production, which feels new and shiny for BABYMETAL but is long overdue for the ‘kawaii metal’ queens. Its glitchy production and pitch-shifted screams feel like a nod to BRING ME THE HORIZON’s POST HUMAN experiments – it’s not groundbreaking, but clearly emotive and (up until the third verse) would be a great anime opener. The bridge however reminds you that they are still BABYMETAL – the low pitch screams are a new step forward and great contrast against their usually effortlessly clean singing that many Japanese vocalists aspire to.

Not every collaboration on METAL FORTH unfortunately lands. METALI!! featuring Tom Morello wastes its potential, making it the weakest pairing overall. The song’s traditional Japanese elements are intriguing and whimsy, but they’re undercut by a lack of genuine synergy. Morello’s guitar work feels phoned-in, his solo merely mirroring the vocal melody rather than elevating it. Truthfully, this song would have been stronger as a standalone BABYMETAL song. Finally, the closing track White Flame ー白炎ー is a safe but underwhelming finale. While it showcases BABYMETAL’s classic intense sound of soaring vocals and galloping riffs, it lacks the adventurous spirit that defines the rest of the album. After so much experimentation on the rest of the album, ending on such a familiar note feels safe and anticlimactic.

METAL FORTH is BABYMETAL at their most restless, flitting between genres with reckless abandon. The album’s lack of cohesion will frustrate some, but its boldest moments suggest an exciting new direction. Overall, this record was a great move by the band, giving them the opportunity to learn from some of the scene’s brightest and best, to then take that away and broaden their own sound. If METAL GALAXY was BABYMETAL’s global takeover, then METAL FORTH is their laboratory – testing sounds, refining ideas, and proving that this trio is still one of metal’s most unpredictable acts.

Rating: 7/10

METAL FORTH is out now via Capitol Records. 

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