Babymetal - "The Other One"

Kawaii Metal is kinda fun

I was slightly concerned when I took this one on that there would be some “UwU” involved. Thankfully, that was ill-founded. Though, in looking around at Babymetal online, I’ve seen the term “Kawaii Metal”.

Babymetal uses a prog/power metal base with a lower-tuned guitar - so the guitar often feels less present than it actually is, as it’s working within the foundation. Which, after looking at the band lineup, is incredible - the band, known as Kami Band, contains four guitarists, two bassists, and two drummers. And as big and intense as the sound is, I definitely do not detect four separate guitar lines at any point. This likely has to do with the foundational structure and mixing that Babymetal utilizes.

Because, first and foremost, Babymetal is still a J-Pop group. The vocals are dominant in every track, and the composition keeps them in a separate register well-above the foundational band. And, hey, I do enjoy good J-Pop vocals. Most of the ending themes used for “Inuyasha”, back in the day, were certifiable gold for me. There’s an entirely different energy in J-Pop, and you feel it in the vocals of Babymetal.

While the vocals and instruments seem to, largely, remain segregated in different zones of the soundscape, they *do* work incredibly well together. It’s a phenomenal blend and very enjoyable.

There don’t seem to be any cohesive album-level elements, and only a few songs really break through into “Great” territory, so this one is just Green. But it’s a good Green.

Rating: Green