{"id":14741,"date":"2017-02-23T09:07:14","date_gmt":"2017-02-23T09:07:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rockhaq.com\/?p=14741"},"modified":"2018-12-24T09:06:21","modified_gmt":"2018-12-24T09:06:21","slug":"album-review-babymetal-metal-resistance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rockhaq.com\/1546951672250\/?p=14741","title":{"rendered":"Album Review: Babymetal – Metal Resistance"},"content":{"rendered":"

As soon as I typed out the name \u2018Babymetal\u2019 in my word document, I immediately realised the amount of constructive criticism that I was going to receive from my Rockhaq peers. Babymetal are a Japanese pop metal group composed of Suzuka Nakamoto (Su-metal), Yui Mizuno (Yuimetal) & Moa Kikuchi (Moametal). The trio have somewhat grown to become a peculiar phenomenon within the metal community due to their controversial approach to the genre. Metal Resistance<\/em> is the sophomore album to their self-titled record Babymetal<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Road of Resistance<\/em> opens the album with an epic harmonising guitar riff that has musical similarities to 1980\u2019s power metal. British speed metal group DragonForce guitarists Herman Li & Sam Totman were responsible for bringing this musical quality to the opener.\u00a0The song\u2019s ripping tempo and retro-video game sounding guitars will leave you in a relentless moshing frenzy.<\/p>\n

Karate<\/em> is a song you\u2019d expect to be used as an opening theme for a Japanese anime television show because of the grandiose qualities it internalises through its chunky distorted guitars and earth-shattering percussion section. Karate<\/em> carries a positive message about overcoming the barriers that life presents you with \u201cStill more, seiya soiya, let\u2019s fight on even if we get sad and unable to stand up<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n

Awadama Fever<\/em> contains Babymetal\u2019s signature wacky soundscapes such as the dizzying synthesiser riff which sounds like a buzzing bee on drugs. However if the drum & bass style of Awadama Fever<\/em> wasn\u2019t weird enough, the song\u2019s theme is equally bizarre as lead vocalist Su-metal sings about eating bubble gum \u201cBubble ball, bubble fever\/Ah yeah! Fly off, chew, chew, chewing gum<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n

Meta Taro<\/em> is the battle cry that Babymetal would sing if they were heading into war with their own army of Viking pirates!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The hyperactive techno groove that\u2019s found in YAVA!<\/em> perfectly summarises why Babymetal\u2019s musical formula is so unique. The song effortlessly alternates between its different music styles, as the guitar strumming patterns in the verses resembles those found in reggae and ska music. Meta Taro<\/em> has influences of Scandinavian metal written all over it, which can be heard through the military marching beat, accordion and anthemic chants. Meta Taro<\/em> is essentially the battle cry that Babymetal would sing if they were heading into war with their own army of Viking pirates!<\/p>\n

Monumental power ballad No Rain, No Rainbow<\/em> allows Metal Resistance<\/em> to take a breather for a couple of minutes and\u00a0features such as jagged metal riffs and bombastic soundscapes are absent.\u00a0<\/i>No Rain, No Rainbow <\/em>has glimpses of stadium rock where the influences of Queen\u2019s guitarist Brian May can be heard in the guitar solos. It\u00a0highlights the huge musical potential that Babymetal<\/em> can go on to achieve in their future albums. The track also proves Su-metal who, at the age of 19, can vocally stand up alongside the key singers in today’s pop scene.<\/p>\n

The One <\/em>continues\u00a0the theatrical rock elements from No Rain, No Rainbow,<\/em> which sends Metal Resistance <\/em>out on an absolute high. This is the first time lyrics have been sung in English all the way through by the band. The track is dedicated to Babymetal’s fanbase to thank them for their continuous support since the band’s formation in 2010 \u201cThis is our song\/This is our dream\/Please take us to the land of dreams\/We are the one\/Together we\u2019re the only one.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Metal Resistance<\/em> displays the beauty of Babymetal\u2019s unpredictable musical nature and how well they balance the contrasting genres in their songs, from heavy metal to Japanese idol pop. The band have also learnt from their predecessor to dial back the crazy soundscapes and as a result of this it sees them build a heavier and cohesive sound. However there are some minor inconsistencies with Metal Resistance.<\/em>\u00a0Tracks such as Dusk Till Dawn <\/em>seem as if they’ve just been added to the album to see how many other genres can be packed onto it, which can sometimes feel off-putting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As soon as I typed out the name \u2018Babymetal\u2019 in my word document, I immediately realised the amount of constructive criticism that I was going to receive from my Rockhaq peers. Babymetal are a Japanese pop metal group composed of Suzuka Nakamoto (Su-metal), Yui Mizuno (Yuimetal) & Moa Kikuchi (Moametal). The trio have somewhat grown to become a peculiar phenomenon within the metal community due to their controversial approach to the genre. Metal Resistance is the sophomore album to their self-titled record Babymetal.
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