BABYMETAL - Metal Forth

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. What’s most impressive is the band’s ability to incorporate so many different identities and styles of metal into one record that still feels harmonic and balanced. Yes, years in the industry can teach you a lot, but ‘Metal Forth’ feels like pure, instinctual exploration.