Babymetal – ‘Metal Resistance’ [Review]
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Babymetal are the ultimate Marmite band.
Since emerging in 2011, Babymetal have blown up worldwide – and although in some corners people express a passionate desire to see Babymetal actually blown up, those of us who’re capable of taking life less seriously have embraced them simply because Babymetal are fucking fun.
Metal Resistance hammers the humour angle home immediately, as Dragonforce guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman lend their lightspeed skills to opening track Road Of Resistance. It’s a furious, silly, and glorious opening to an absolutely exceptional album.
To be fair, Babymetal are likely to be at least an acquired taste for some. After all, no matter how open-minded you are, we are still talking about a group of Japanese girls singing in both their native tongue and English, merging the most syrupy J-pop stylings with frantic riffs, bludgeoning beats, and harsh guitar and bass tones fresh from the polar opposite musical extreme. There is no fuzzy grey no-man’s land in Babymetal’s world; you just have to deal with the fact that your ears are going to experience some serious culture shock.
Making the effort is more than worth it, though. KARATE grooves hard, taking in precisely-timed electronic elements; Awadama Fever cranks up the tempo amid harmonic-ridden guitars; YAVA! drops things into super-freaky territory, bouncing with ska-flavoured rhythms; Li and Totman return for Amore, shredding their fretboards into firewood; and Meta Taro opens anthemically, a great example of exceptional arranging.
By the time Dusk Till Dawn hits, all big drums, silky synths, a smidgeon of djent, and Rammstein-style guitars, we’re following a familiar track. Proceedings still aren’t predictable, but the Babymetal formula is well established at this point, and things feel far more familiar. GJ! was obviously made to be played live; expect instant, ultra-tight clapalongs and venue-wide circle pits for that one. Sis. Anger tackles death metal riffage and despairing wails; No Rain, No Rainbow is more than an awesome title, Metal Resistance’s token ballad; and Tales Of The Destinies is an absolute chopfest, containing insane double-kick work, brutal metric superimposition, hectic hypersyncopation, and some flat-out-fucked odd time in there too.
Tales Of The Destinies is my personal favourite track on Metal Resistance. Clearly inspired by Dream Theater, it’s a true masterclass from all involved. Insane.
Closing things off: THE ONE. One more set-closing prog workshop: gymnastic arpeggios, ivory-tinkling piano, and skycraping hooks. Beautiful.
Overall: Metal Resistance is proof that Babymetal are no one-off fluke. Their star is set to rise still further – and good for them. Again: Metal Resistance is an absolutely exceptional album.
TMMP RATING: 97%
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