BABYMETAL
METAL FORTH
Release Date: Aug 8, 2025
Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Alternative Metal, Heavy Metal
Record label: Capitol
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Album Review: METAL FORTH by BABYMETAL
Fairly Good, Based on 4 Critics
Based on rating 3.2/5
Guests On Their Own Album When the tracklist for Metal Forth was revealed, showing that two-thirds of the album would feature collaborations, many fans were understandably apprehensive. The main concern was whether the band could preserve their distinct identity on a record that, at first glance, made them seem like supporting players on their own album. Even on a fan-favorite track like "Ratatata (with Electric Callboy)," the signature Babymetal formula was noticeably diluted to make room for Electric Callboy's style.
Opinion: Excellent
Like Bill and Ted's Wyld Stallyns, Babymetal were supposed to have saved us by now. They promised to unite the world through peace, love and kawaii metal. It's over a decade since their debut album and our planet's situation seems more precarious than ever. Babymetal's presence has done little to curb the malignant powers of the four horsemen of the crapocalypse: Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin, Ricky Gervais.
Opinion: Excellent
BABYMETAL's fifth album finds them exploring everything metal as a genre has embodied in the last few years, unifying seemingly disparate styles via a series of guest spots, from household names (Tom Morello, Poppy, the rapidly-rising Spiritbox) to those whose popularity hasn't yet crossed over (New Delhi's Bloodywood nailing their collaboration on 'Kon! Kon!'). And where it's solely the band themselves - on halfway mark 'KxAxWxAxIxI' and 'Algorism' - they still execute things with their signature twist: the former is tantalisingly paired with a hip hop melody, while the latter is a pure face-melter. The feature from Electric Callboy on 'RATATATA' is upbeat, fun, and even somewhat nostalgic, while Slaughter To Prevail's appearance on 'Song 3' balances meticulous deathcore and technical metal.
Opinion: Very Good
It's been a while since this writer last covered BABYMETAL, but I leapt at the chance to review their incoming fifth album, 'METAL FORTH'. Why? Because subtlety simply doesn't exist in the hyper-charged, kawaiicore world these three Japanese rockers inhabit. Their music is the sonic equivalent of strapping a unicorn into iron armour and launching it into battle, wielding a trident.
'METAL FORTH'
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