rbrown498

From Japan, naturally:

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Just when I think that Japan can't get any weirder, it proves me wrong.

hdnmickey

Great match for the chill out album thread.

Groucho

This is probably the least-weird thing out of Japan. I thought both songs were actually pretty good.

PerryD

These sort of bands are very popular in Japan, selling out huge stadiums. Babymetal has broken out of the Japanese market, opening for Lady Gaga this summer, and playing a recent metal festival in Montréal on the same bill as Metallica, Anthrax, Voivod, and Overkill.

The Black

I've known of them for quite some time, and it's enjoyable music.
They seemed to have recruited real musicians for their live shows now though, opposed to playbacking.
I'd go see them live if they came here.

E Unit

No actual babies playing metal - band name fail.

majorjoe23

Yeah, I assumed this would be like those metal bands fronted by pit bulls or parrots, but with screaming babies.

van der graaf

Heh. Basically the logical progression from crap like Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park....

Bandoman

Babymetal is awesome!

mndtrp

I like the music, but don't really care for the vocals. Good for them, though, I hope they continue to bring in fans.

Traxan

Suck it, haters. This song is epic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZRvO0S-TLU

Mabuse

That was absolutely horrible. Wow!!! Tears in my eyes.

Couldn't those girls find some respectable work, like vomit bukkake.

B5Erik

Damn - that song IS epic. And I'm not kidding.

Up to this point I saw BabyMetal as a joke - a goofy, silly, Japanese gimmick act. Well, they still are to a large degree, but if their management & producers are going in a more mature direction musically (as this song, "The One," does) then maybe I'll actually enjoy listening to them.

This song reminds me a lot of melodic Savatage, and the post solo section reminds me of modern Iron Maiden. That type of music is no joke, it's for real. Whoever they brought in to write this material did a great job.

Shocking, really.

bunkaroo

So do they play with any offstage or onstage backup band? Otherwise I don't see how they're not Milli Vanilli. Too many layers in that to be performed by a trio.

They may very well turn out to be a "serious" band, but I can't give any respect to artists who use a gimmick to gain attention. Can't have it both ways - you're either a joke band or you're not IMO.

It's a big reason I could never get into Slipknot. Without the masks, they never break as big as they did. Their music is largely bland and forgettable, and their style is done so much better by so many other bands. So it is with Babymetal. Unless you like the whine of a teenage Japanese girl, let me point you to a dozen other female-fronted "epic" metal bands that blow them out of the water. Without the visual of 3 teenage Japanese girls, that band is nothing remarkable. It's a shame what we "see" has always had to play such a role in what we "hear".

Curmudgeon-y rant over.

B5Erik

I know going in that these girls don't write the music or even have a say in musical direction.

I like that one song. It's good. Really good.

They're no different from the Monkees, and they had some top notch talent behind their music.

If the whole album is this good I'm definitely going to buy it. All I care about is the quality of the music.

The Cow

I saw them last year at the Rock on the Range festival in Columbus, OH. I'm a little suspect on how much of it was pre-recorded, but their show was interesting to watch. That new one sounds like they are headed to more bubble-gum pop rock.

B5Erik

I wouldn't exactly call this song, "Bubblegum."

It's just old school melodic metal with an epic sweep.

E Unit

And STILL no damn babies playing metal.

The Cow

Yeah, I was wrong on that. It's just less "guitars a blazin'" than their other stuff. I listened to the rest of the album and it's more like their prior output for the most part.

There is an English version of "The One" on the album.

kefrank

When it comes to female-fronted asian bands that play heavy music, I prefer Melt-Banana:
https://youtu.be/tR6ZxrduHLA

mndtrp

Do you mean other than the 4 people they have onstage playing instruments? I have no doubt they use a backing track of at least the atmospheric and symphonic elements. It doesn't bother me, unless they ever say they play everything live.

As far as gimmicks, if the music backs it up, I again don't care.

Babymetal isn't something I would pick up to listen to, but I would consider seeing them live.

hawk

Babymetal's on Colbert tonight btw.

Nick Danger

According to Wikipedia, one of the girls graduated from junior high, and was nearly fired for it. Too old. Management decided to keep the trio together.

Josh-da-man

I'm not entirely sure what Babymetal's international target audience is, but stuff like that will not go over well with the heavy metal community. Makes them look too much like Menudo.

Nth Power

Their Colbert appearance: