Release Date: Oct 11, 2019
Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Heavy Metal, Pop-Metal, Asian Pop, J-Pop
Record label: Cooking Vinyl
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Metal doesn't get any more fun than this. To say "Gimmie Chocolate" was a shocking introduction to Babymetal is an absolute understatement, but with 108 million views it appears to be how most people discovered the band. The fact of the matter, though, is that no matter how jarring Moa and Yui's vocals were on that song - their voices are definitely mixed too high - the music was heavy and fun, and the chorus was insanely catchy; a description that extended to their entire debut album. When they released their sophomore album, Babymetal went for a more streamlined approach that didn't really contain anything as off-the-wall as "Gimmie Chocolate".
2016's Metal Resistance saw the kawaii idol metal troupe embrace the darkness and dial back some of the more radio-friendly J-pop aspects of their sound. The confectioner's touch that made their eponymous debut so alluring was still there, but the overall effect was more punishing than grin-inducing. Metal Galaxy, the band's third full-length effort, aims to remedy that.
The J-pop-metal sensations' third album continues their voyage from the sublime to the ridiculous - and back again - and will prove as divisive as ever J-pop-meets-hard-rock sensations BABYMETAL, who lace sugar-sweet hooks with speed-metal and rave rhythms, have proven divisive among the rock community. Yet the pure hedonism of their sound, and the theatrical rush of their highly-choreographed, pyro-driven live shows, have seen them sell-out Wembley Arena and found them fans among the likes of Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Bring Me The Horizon - all of whom have invited the band on the road. That divisiveness drives their third album, 'Metal Galaxy'.
B efore there was kawaii metal there was just kawaii, a strand of distinctly Japanese popular culture that revels in all things cute and lovable, and is perhaps best exemplified by the eternally popular Hello Kitty franchise. Absolutely nobody thought what it might sound like if Kitty White fronted Slayer. Or so it seemed. Because then came Babymetal, a group that fuses kawaii with heavy metal orchestration, as well as elements of J-pop, video-game music innovators such as Yuzo Koshiro, and the metalcore ragings of Ronnie Radke.
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