Blessed Are the Sick is the second studio album from death metal band Morbid Angel. It features an overall slower musical sound, although containing very fast riffs, and reveals another side of the band, with classical music undertones (main composer Trey Azagthoth would dedicate this album to Mozart). Tracks 9, 10 and 12 are re-recorded songs from the 1986 demo Abominations of Desolation. The cover painting is "Les Trésors de Satan" by Jean Delville.
The Review:
I grew up in the Tampa Bay area having moved there as a child in 1981 and staying there until 2007 when I moved to California. I was there in the infancy of the Death Metal scene and I was playing in my own band at the time as well as helping the others in the scene as we all did back in the day. As one of death metal’s earliest practitioners, Morbid Angel always appeared larger than the hell-spawned genre they helped create. They just always possessed a more profound understanding of what death metal could become – even if the initial vision wasn’t theirs, through the eyes of Trey Azagthoth and his cohorts Morbid Angel demonstrated the difference between taking a genre to its limits and playing as if the limitations didn’t exist. An unconventional band in an unconventional genre, Morbid Angel’s inherent weirdness was not only the means that separated them from the growing boom of death metal in the early 90’s, but it was also why they led it. Simply put, Morbid Angel was and always will be a cornerstone band for extreme metal, an awe-inspiring institution of how perseverance, practice and vision can see you doing the supposed impossible.
A hardworking band when it came to every aspect of their early years together (changing their own bus tires on tour, non-stop rehearsing, etc..), the members of Morbid Angel approached everyday life with the some vicious intent as they did music, very much living a “death metal” lifestyle. With these blue-collar ethics in hand, the progression between the band’s first album, Altars of Madness and their sophomore record Blessed Are The Sick is absolutely immense, a progression in every sense of the word. As intense and forward thinking as it was, Altars of Madness was still very much shackled to the thrashy-bounds Morbid Angel was founded on; Blessed Are The Sick forcefully discards these restraints, freeing the band and paving the way for Azagthoth’s bizarre genius to finally take fruition, pushing death metal in the abyss beyond reach forever.
Whereas Altars of Madness was crafted during a time when death metal was still all about achieving an undeterred terminal velocity by 1991 and the release of Blessed Are The Sick that air had cleared, allowing for a major growth to take place within the still fledgling genre. Far from a straightforward affair, Blessed Are The Sick finally started to display the hidden glut of Azagthoth’s influences, allowing elements of psychedelic and classical to permeate the album’s unwaveringly dense infrastructure. Finally implementing the “trippy” sound he really always desired, Blessed… is noticeably slower than its predecessor, but is in return more dynamic, exploring the contrasts between faster and slower sections and truly unorthodox song structures.
An apocalyptic wasteland decimated by the gargantuan riffs of Lords Azagthoth and Brunelle, Blessed… fully unearths the wizardry of these guitar sorcerers, showing the two summoning more and more hellfire-tinged riffs and solos as the album progresses. A Musician’s musician within a musician’s musicians community, Trey’s guitar style (first truly seen here) is one of Morbid Angel’s most distinguishing traits; the man invoked pure chaos, skewing conventional guitar arrangements to create a nightmarish glimpse of the many boundaries death metal had still yet to break. While thrash undeniably resonates from time to time (which can mostly be attributed several rerecorded songs originally from Abominations of Desolation) Azagthoth’s compositions are frightening looks into the past and present; vestiges of thrash will always remain in death metal music, but now they are contorted and deformed, a true display of just how far death metal’s ambitious spirit has pushed heavy metal into hideous extremity.
Adopting a doomy, slower groove-based edge, there are very few moments on this album where you won’t be compelled to bang your head; improving greatly on the tinny production of previous records, Blessed Are The Sick’s ball-sagging heavy sound provides the rhythm sections tormented playing greater weight, a true asset when it comes to having ambitions of being the heaviest band out there. Perhaps to match the growing heaviness of the music, David Vincent’s once raspy bark has been replaced by thick, pronounced gutturals, decipherable but still malevolent enough to ensure your little sister WILL NOT be picking this up for a casual listen anytime soon. It’s almost hard to believe that when Pete Sandoval first joined Morbid Angel in 1988 he was unable to perform double bass beats - by 1991 he was not only one of the most technically proficient, but also creative drummers in death metal. Whether he knew it or not at the time though, that was his fate since his decision to join the band; with off the wall guitar-playing like Azagthoth’s, Sandoval’s evolution was undoubtedly forced upon him, in a do-or-die situation of keep up or get left behind.
Of the first David Vincent era of the band only Domination gets overlooked more than Blessed are the Sick. Their aforementioned debut and their third release, Covenant, constantly garner great attention for different reasons; the debut for its no holds barred approach and the latter for their ability to change speeds on a dime. Blessed toes the line between albums quite well, much like Slayer’s South of Heaven bridges the gap between Reign In Blood and Seasons In The Abyss. The band experiments with slowed tempos on the album’s first track “Fall From Grace,” also shifting gears without a moment’s notice.
Flashes of Altars enter into the fray on “Abominations;” Trey Azagthoth skewers all comers with his fretboard flourish, delivering the fastest song on the entire album. Vincent’s vocals imbue much more of a guttural style than in the past, and this sound continues to develop and become more fully fledged on Covenant.
Tracks like “Doomsday Celebration” feel like a leftover from a King Diamond album; a classically themed interlude that also could double as Castlevania or Super Metroid music from Super Nintendo. Morbid Angel experimented with these bumper tracks on Blessed and made them more fleshed out on Covenant. Seeing as this kind of in-between track would likely be played by a live orchestra these days, it shows just how poorly the synthesized sounds have aged over time.
Often remembered as one of the group’s best efforts, it’s in an album like Blessed Are The Sick that the extreme metal world has gained an undying respect for; pushing the limits during Its time, Morbid Angel’s second record was a groundbreaking release for death metal, giving it a clear dynamic perspective that few had yet to give it credit for. Released during one of death metal’s most successful periods, if 1991 was the year of memorable death metal albums, Blessed Are The Sick is just a bit more memorable than most
Ride the Lightning is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica, released on July 27, 1984, by the independent record label Megaforce Records. The album was recorded in three weeks with producer Flemming Rasmussen at the Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark. The artwork, based on a concept by the band, depicts an electric chair being struck by lightning flowing from the band logo. The title was taken from a passage in Stephen King's novel The Stand. Although rooted in the thrash metal genre, the album showcased the band's musical growth and lyrical sophistication. This was partly because bassist Cliff Burton introduced the basics of music theory to the rest of the band and had more input in the songwriting. Instead of relying heavily on fast tempos as on its debut Kill 'Em All, Metallica broadened its approach by employing acoustic guitars, extended instrumentals, and more complex harmonies. The overall recording costs were paid by Metallica's European label Music for Nations because Megaforce was unable to cover it. It was the last album to feature songwriting contributions from former lead guitarist Dave Mustaine, and the first to feature contributions from his replacement, Kirk Hammett.
The Review:
Released in 1984, Ride the Lightning is Metallica's second studio effort. Often sandwiched between the mighty Kill Em' All and Master Of Puppets, I feel that the album is the proverbial "middle child" of the Metallica discography, slightly ignored and somewhat under-valued compared to its siblings.
The album opens with the beautiful classical guitar introduction of "Fight Fire with Fire". After about forty seconds, the band unleashes an all-out metal attack. Like "Children of the Grave" by Black Sabbath, the song is a very "gloom and doom" look at the military-industrial complex that hangs over us in the modern world, very apocalyptic. A classic Metallica song to say the least, with fantastic drumming from Lars, one of his best drum parts in my opinion. The title track "Ride the Lightning" shows Metallica moving away from the break-neck speeds of Kill Em' All and more to a focus on developing melody. A strong condemnation of capital punishment, the song shows Metallica at their most political. Kirk Hammett is a revelation on the song, and you can start to see his solos moving towards a very melodic playing style, more refined than the "in your face" guitar attack on Kill Em' All. The song is one of the first "epic" Metallica songs, preparing us for what will come on the next album. Not as technically complex as the song "Master of Puppets", but a progressive step in that direction. In any case, a fantastic song.
"For Whom the Bell Tolls" is an absolute beast of a song. I have always loved the lead bass guitar introduction, delivered by arguably one of the best bass players of all time, Cliff Burton. The lyrics are based on the Hemingway novel of the same name, and concern the experience of war, and all of its horrors from the perspective of a soldier. Lars keeps a solid and pounding beat throughout, and Hetfield delivers his best vocal on the album, and one of the best of his career in all honesty. But the highlight for me is the lyrics and bass-work of the very missed Cliff Burton, the heart of Metallica. A great song, and one of my favorites on the album."Fade to Black" is likely the most famous song on the album, and has largely survived in the modern Metallica set-list. Gorgeously classical, the song is a very heart-wrenching tale of hopelessness and suicide. The riffs are crushing and bear the mark of Black Sabbath, very heavy for the band, but somehow softer due to the acoustics throughout. A great song, one of Metallica's best.
"Trapped Under Ice" is a fan-favorite, a deep album cut. More like something off Kill Em' All, it is the fastest song on the album. I really like the song, but I would not say it's a perfect song, just more thematically and musically in line with their first album, a bit of a "refugee" on this album. Lars' drumming is an obvious highlight, and the lyrics are pretty stark and bleak, but not a classic "Tallica" song for a lot of fans. "Escape" is another deep cut. A classic metal tale of not following the rules, the song feels a bit hollow lyrically, an all-too common theme explored during 80s metal. I honestly don't completely care for the song, sounding positively slow motion compared to most tracks off Kill Em' All. The whole song feel anti-climatic, like a demo fleshed out to fill the length requirements of the album, which in a lot of ways that matter, it really was.
"Creeping Death" is an obvious favorite of many on the album. Like a cold shower, the song wakes us from the coma that "Escape" put us in. The best song ever written about a plague, I love everything about this song, it is the sound of Metallica beginning to approach their creative peak that would culminate on the next album, part of the symbolism in this track is biblical in nature and references the following [Exodus 12:22 - And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip [it] in the blood that [is] in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that [is] in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.]. Lars is like a freight train running down the tracks, and I can't understand why he has some many detractors, he's a solid drummer. One just need listen to this song to hear his talent. Hammett and Hetfield both deliver killer guitars, one of the best Metallica riffs to ever exist, absolutely punishing. The album closes with the Cliff Burton track "The Call of Ktulu". Inspired by the H.P. Lovecraft story, I like the song, and I especially love the bass leads of Cliff Burton, bringing back the bass sound he explored on "Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth)" from Kill Em' All. Hammett's leads will make you green with envy, and will make you ask the question, how can someone be so proficient in their early 20s? A true showcase of his talent, as well as all of the other members of the band.
"Ride the Lightning" is a very good album. I prefer the much-lauded "Master of Puppets", but consider this album a close second for my pic of best Metallica album. Despite a couple filler songs, most songs are metal classics, songs that many bands only wish they could write. The sound of a band hitting their stride, ascending to the top of the rock world, and what a sound they made on their way up.
Score: 4/5
Metallica - Master of Puppets (1986)
Members:
James Hetfield – vocals, rhythm guitar, solo on "Master of Puppets" and "Orion"
Kirk Hammett – lead guitar
Cliff Burton – bass
Lars Ulrich – drums
Factoid:
Master of Puppets is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released on March 3, 1986 by Elektra Records. Recorded at the Sweet Silence Studios with producer Flemming Rasmussen, it was the first Metallica album released on a major record label. Master of Puppets was the band's last album to feature bassist Cliff Burton, who died in a bus accident in Sweden during the album's promotional tour. The album peaked at number 29 on the Billboard 200 and became the first thrash metal album to be certified platinum. It was certified 6× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2003 for shipping six million copies in the United States. The album was eventually certified 6× platinum by Music Canada and gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
The Review:
What is there to say about this album that has not already been said? Metallica's highly-praised third album is often considered to be the greatest album ever released. Do I agree? Let's take a look...
Released in 1986, "Master of Puppets" was released during the golden age of metal. Stepping away from the satanic and demonic lyrics of most metal bands of the day, on Master of Puppets, Metallica showed that metal had something much bigger to say. Basically a sort-of concept album, "Master" concerns the military-industrial complex that churns out soldiers only to see them thrown away like trash after wars are over, if they survive at all. Countless imitators would follow over the years but none have come close, and this album basically set the scene for thrash metal for the next 20+ years.
The album begins with "Battery". Anyone doubting the drum-pounding skills of Lars "Napster" Ulrich, needs only to listen to this song. An absolutely manic song, it was with Battery that thrash metal perfectly blended speed and melody. Classic song. Next is the titular "Master Of Puppets". What can I say about this monster. The most epic metal song of all time, "Master" is a great majority of Metallic fans favorite song. I have nothing other to say than if you have not heard this song, listen NOW!. "The Thing That Should Not Be" comes next. Never one of my absolute favorite songs but it's not a bad track either, the riff is ultra-heavy and the drums kill, but it lacks the epic progressiveness and time changes of most of the other songs on the album. Next is "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)". One of the best "Tallica" songs ever, it is similar in structure and lyrically content to the more famous "One" from "And Justice For All". I love the solos on this song, and Kirk Hammet lays down easily his best guitar work in my opinion. Bonafide classic.
"Disposable Heroes" continues the theme of the album. About soldiers heading into the slaughter, the song is brutal and raw. Much more straightforward musically than other songs on the album, it lacks some of the progressive complexity that most of Master has. Certainly not a bad song, but not a real standout track for me.
"Leper Messiah" is a hardcore fan favorite. I find the verse somewhat repetitive and hard to distinguish musically from any other Metallic song. But, the instrumental break-down of the song is what keeps me coming back. Lars is a beast on this song, and I love his "double-bass" drum work at the end of the song. Very good, but not a classic in my opinion, but hey...it is a great way to use a David Bowie lyric as a title.
Next is one of my favorite Metallica songs. "Orion" is a gem, and showcases not only the band's talent, but the talent of the late "four-string mother-fuc***", Cliff Burton. Instrumental, I believe the lack of lyrics only adds to the greatness of the song. Ominous, brutal, skull-crushing, are just a few of the words I would use to describe this song. Anyone who plays rock bass has surely taken something from this song, even just one note. Amazing. Last up is "Damage, Inc". I have always loved the keyboard sounding intro, very different sounding. After chilling you out, Metallica takes a proverbial baton to your head with a super-tight riff that echoes military marching bands turned up to 11. Insanely fast, manic, and drilling, the song is a perfect closer to Master. Great song.
"Master of Puppets" is a great album. There is no doubting its genius and impact. But, is it the greatest metal album of all time, I don't think so. A close contender and definitely up there with the greats, but I can think of a list of several of albums that exceed this moderately overrated album. Great, but not the greatest album with the word "Master" in its title.
Chuck Varga (Sexecutioner) - vocals on "Sexecutioner"
Don Drakulich (Sleazy P. Martini) - vocals on "Slaughterama"
Factoid:
Scumdogs of the Universe is the second album by satirical shock rock band Gwar. The album is their first album on Metal Blade Records and was released on January 8, 1990. To date, it is the band's best-selling album.
The Review:
“I’m on this planet, I’m running amok, I should give a shit, but I don’t give a fuck!”
Metal, as a genre, is at its best when its bands aren’t taking themselves too seriously. Certainly there is room for topics of gravity; in fact, every musician should be encouraged to explore these for themselves. But in the realm of heavy metal, it is rarely a good idea to completely abandon its less-serious façade, as it is that “fun,” head-banging, beer-drinking element that has united the great majority of metal’s fans the world over. However the reverse is also true. Never should a so-called “joke” band devolve to the point that there isn’t anything to gain from listening to it (see: The Great Kat, a lot of grindcore) other than a brief chuckle. It is for this reason that I usually abstain from the legion of travelling comedy troupes posing as musicians: I want to listen to music, not a slapstick routine. However bands that have a theatrical edge to me are very enjoyable, but that's a different story than this one.
GWAR is a pretty notable exception. With their over-the-top stage antics, elaborate costumes, and filthy, juvenile humor, they demand to be noticed. And with their infectiously catchy riffs and punk-inspired recklessness, the demand to be listened to also. Though their catalogue wavers in quality, their second album, Scumdogs of the Universe, is an essential tableau of one of the most musically proficient shock-metal outfits in all of history.
Scumdogs sees the intergalactic space misfits refining their punky spatter into catchy, coherent heavy metal of all shapes and sizes, delivered in a crude packaging that is as entertaining as it is offensive to the faint of heart. Full disclosure: anyone who knows me knows why Hell-O is not my favorite album of theirs and could tell you that a primary reason I dislike that album (the band’s unsavory sense of humor) is one of the exact reasons that I enjoy Scumdogs. Hypocrisy, perhaps? I'd like to think it's a bit deeper than that, because while Hell-O was a dirty, repulsive punk album, Scumdogs is nothing less than dirty, repulsive HEAVY METAL, where I’m willing to allow a little gimmicky gross-out tomfoolery to occur as long as the band is metal thrashing mad. It’s like hearing the same joke told by two different comedians: the words may be the same, but the delivery makes all the difference.
In this case, the better musical delivery for the GWAR mythos is obviously metal. And in Scumdogs’ case, it’s basically thrash metal, with a side of punk. And not hardcore punk: this is directly descended from the Ramones/Sex Pistols style punk.
Just listen to some of the vocal harmonies and the various “ooh” and “ohs” delivered by Oderus. But otherwise, it’s mostly mid-paced thrash brilliance, riffs like those of “The Salaminizer,” “Horror of Yig,” or “Maggots,” M.O.D. would kill for, and even Exodus would probably be a bit envious of them. For an unserious, marketing experiment, GWAR are surprisingly adept musicians and formidable metalheads. And while their mid-era albums would be marked by experimentation and parodies of other forms of music, here it’s pretty consistently awesome riffage, with the only stylistic variation occurring in some doomy sections, like those of “Love Surgery” or “Sexicutioner” (hilariously sung by Sexicutioner, one of the many characters in the GWAR universe), Oderus even commenting on the mood of the former during one particularly grim moment (“Ooooh scary!”). Another ‘different’ track is “Slaughterama,” sung by the band’s manager Sleazy P. Martini and itself more of a skit than a song in its comically violent lyrical presentation, but it still rules. Unlike most of GWAR’s other albums, there isn’t a weak track in the lot.
“But what good is all the violence in the world, unless it is tempered with limitless sex? Bring on the limitless sex object!”
However, the true brilliance of the album is how, despite the extreme vulgarity in the lyrics, every song is as infectiously catchy as venereal disease. Which, as it happens, is common subject matter throughout the album. Take a sample line like “Your socks they smell, your feet they stink, you never take a bath!” from their anthem “Sick of You.” Could you ever imagine yourself singing along to such a corny lyric? From any other band, probably not, but I assure you, with GWAR you pretty much haven’t a choice. Same goes for raunchier tunes like “Black and Huge”(a track redone from their debut...and done much better by the way)and “King Queen,” so if you’re one of those who absentmindedly find themselves singing in public places, you might want to think twice before listening, lest you belt out “Gay apparel! You put it on, put it on!” in mixed company. And sometimes it’s not even that it’s simply catchy music, sometimes it’s just that it’s freakin’ epic. The bridge bit of “Sexicutioner” has a dramatic slow part with female vocal harmonies which would sound great no matter what band was playing it, but here, with the ridiculous lyrics (“I am from France, and when you are in France, you pull down your pants!”), the result is something so beautifully absurd that it defies all logic. Joke bands aren’t supposed to be this musical. Quality musicians aren’t supposed to be this hilarious. I haven’t heard a band yet that captures this balance in quite the same way GWAR does.
Of course, not everyone has a sense of humor, and there’s a fairly good chance that someone (read: pussies) could be offended by taking the band too seriously (or in this case, even the slightest bit seriously). After all, every GWAR album is a learning experience even for fans and it takes time for the band’s music to really adhere to your tastes. But Scumdogs is the most immediately palatable and the most consistently enjoyable of their albums, as well as one of the most quotable (seriously, read them lyrics). It’s the place to start if you want to know what all the racket is about.
“Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?” is the 2nd studio album by American thrash metal band, Megadeth. Although, initially handled by Combat Records who released Megadeth’s debut album, “Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good!” a year prior, the album was released by Capitol Records in November 1986. Produced by Randy Burns and Dave Mustaine, “Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?” received critical acclaim and praise from fans and critics as well help put Megadeth on the map.
PSBWB has been regarded as a milestone and a masterpiece of the American thrash metal movement and an instant and mandatory metal classic. ”Peace Sells” along with Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” and Slayer’s “Reign in Blood” all of which were released in 1986 are considered pivotal in giving prominence to extreme metal.
This is the 2nd and last album to feature Chris Poland on guitar and Gar Samuelson (R.I.P.) on drums who were both let go not long afterwards for selling megadeth gear for crack money. This was the first incarnation of Megadeth.
Review:
This album is another of those watershed albums for the genre. I feel that by in large it is primarily responsible for the mass recognition of more extreme styles of metal thanks in part to heavy rotation on MTV with the videos for "Wake Up Dead" and the title track "Peace Sells", the later having that famous "This is the news" part that even made its way into a few station ads. Megadeth as a whole are a unique breed of band since they were formed out of Dave's firing from Metallica, and in all honesty, I always preferred Megadeth over Metallica. But we aren't here to compare bands, so let's break this beast out and see what it's made of....Let's Do This!!!
The album kicks off with the mega-classic known as “Wake Up Dead” which is, to this day, a staple in the band’s live performances. An absolute classic piece of thrash featuring some of the best and classic Mustaine riffs to date. It also features blistering solos by Mustaine and Chris Poland.
“The Conjuring” follows and it’s ultra-heavy, furiously dark, and devilishly evil. Another song that showcases Mustaine’s brilliance of writing fast, extremely heavy, intricate thrash metal riffs.
It’s then followed by one of Megadeth’s most famous songs “Peace Sells,” a fan favourite and an all time metal classic. The song begins with a thumping bass line from David Ellefson, which was part of MTV News broadcasts for many years. Not the fastest song of the bunch but nonetheless intelligent, thoughtful, heavy, and catchy as hell – a headbanger’s delight.
“Devil’s Island” opens with a monstrous dark banging riff that is soon accompanied by a ripping guitar lead from Dave Mustaine. Right before the song kicks into its verses, Ellefson delivers a short bass interlude. The song rips hard, the song rips fast, the song makes you want to bang your head hard and furiously. You can’t help but scream along to the choruses. More fast, intricate, headbanging, mouth-watering Mustaine riffs in this one with great guitar leads from Mustaine and Poland.
Then what follows is the fan favourite “Good Mourning/Black Friday” which in my opinion really showcases the talents of both Chris Poland and Gar Samuelson. The album is known for its “twists and turns” as Anthrax’s Scott Ian put it. The song starts off with the “Good Mourning” portion of the song, slow and soft but still really dark. This part showcases the guitar chops of the talented Chris Poland. “Good Mourning” ends and goes right into a maniacal thrash assault with “Black Friday,” once again the intricate rhythms written by Mustaine on full display. What also is on full display is the phenomenal drum work by Gar Samuelson and his brutality laced jazzy drum fills.
Then the listener is hit with “Bad Omen,” another banger. The song slowly but surely builds into a thrash bombardment of epic proportions. David Ellefson’s pounding bass line combined with the brilliantly talented drum work of Gar Samuelson and the ferocious complexed guitar work of Mustaine and Poland gives way to a lesson in technical musical theatre. And before you know it, the band is going mach 10 and the listener is doing some serious damage to his or her’s neck.
Next is a cover of Willie Dixon’s “I Ain’t Superstitious” which is a blues song but done the ‘Megadeth’ way. Considering that Megadeth were “a jazz band that played metal” to a lot of people and that guitarist Chris Poland and drummer Gar Samuelson both were jazz musicians, the cover really isn’t that much of a shock. It actually makes a lot of sense. All of the solos in the song were performed by Chris Poland who definitely felt a lot more in his comfort zone I would imagine. And the same for the Gar too. For much of the song it is what is, a blues song done by Megadeth… and I am not saying that in a bad way either. The final minute of the song goes into a speed metal frenzy, a frantic rush to the finish.
And the last song on this epic masterpiece is “My Last Words,” which in my opinion is one of the most underrated Megadeth songs. The fabulous bass playing from David Ellefson really shines through in this song as does the work of Samuelson behind the drum kit, the rhythm section really on full display. The song near the end really picks up its intensity and before you know it, Dave Mustaine unleashes one of his all time best face-melting, blistering guitar solos over a side-splitting speed metal riff.
This is a masterwork of (thrash) metal. Indeed, an all-time classic and one of the all time greatest records to ever see the light of day. Influential beyond belief, a timeless and unforgettable work of utter brilliance. And it was an album written and recorded by heroin junkies, go figure huh? They managed to craft a technical masterpiece that has influenced an entire generation and a lot of metal acts today. The album ended the way it started – guns blazing. The album without a doubt stands at the top of essential metal albums and to this day, over 30 years after its release, still has an impact on its listeners. The album is timeless, the album is classic, the album is a must listen, the album is a must have, the album simply will never get old.
This was the first Megadeth album that I ever got and looking back I would have never thought it would have had such a major influence on me as it does and has. “Peace Sells” not only was it one of the reasons why I picked up the guitar myself but it’s one of the reasons why I dove into the whole Megadeth catalog. This album changed my life, it really did. Megadeth is one of my favorite bands. I own all of their albums and I have listened to all of them countless times over the years. I can recite practically any lyrics from any song and that’s not an exaggeration either. In retrospect, if I didn’t receive “Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?” when I was 16 years old, Megadeth wouldn’t even be in discussion for my favorite band list. PSBWB changed my life… I probably would be a completely different person without this album and the band.
You’re not a fan of metal or thrash metal if you haven’t listen to this album. If you wanna start getting into metal, “Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?” should be one of the first places to start.
Reign in Blood is the third studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on October 7, 1986 by Def Jam Recordings. The album was the band's first collaboration with producer Rick Rubin, whose input helped the band's sound evolve. The release date of the album was delayed because of concerns regarding the lyrical subject matter of the opening track "Angel of Death", which refers to Josef Mengele and describes acts such as human experimentation that he committed at the Auschwitz concentration camp. However, the band's members stated numerous times that they did not condone Nazism and were merely interested in the subject.
The Review: Back in 1988 I was sick at home with the flu and my parents being the caring people they sometimes were went off to the mall. Before they left they asked if I wanted anything new to listen to, so I gave them a short list of things I wanted and they set off. About 5 or 6 hours later, they came home and I had migrated from my sick bed to the couch to watch some TV. My dad gave me a small bag with 2 new tapes in it...Metallica "Master of Puppets" and Slayer "Reign in Blood" the first 2 on the list I gave them earlier. I immediately opened them up to read the liner notes then I went back to my room to get my Walkman to play these treasures...Metallica was first and I loved it as I knew I would, then I plugged in Slayer....the sonic tapestry I experienced changed my life right then and there....so I figure it's time to give this album a once over in my own way....Let's Do This!!! At only 29 minutes long, Reign in Blood is perfect proof of quality over quantity, hell they managed to put the whole album on one side of the tape and repeated it on the second. Just because the songs aren't long, doesn't mean the music isn't good, or isn't as amazing as some ploddy and intricate prog noise. However because of how short this album is I won't do my typical track by track review...instead I'll cover the album as a whole and cover the finer points per song as I feel the need to. The production on this album gives Slayer the ability to convey their diabolical thrash through a more accessible lens. I know people take issue with Rick Rubin for his modern day production work, but he really did a fantastic job conveying Slayer with far more clarity than their debut and perhaps more than Hell Awaits (which is, by the way, a classic in its own right). This album is far more than just Angel of Death, Raining Blood & everything in between. The point of the album is how fast the band can play and how to make the best impression in the shortest time. So, yeah, you get recycled riffs, songs in the same key, and similar lyrical motifs peppered throughout. So what? This is music to be appreciated as a whole, rather than as individual parts. I mean, who honestly listens to Altar of Sacrifice and not listen to its twin song, Jesus Saves? Heathens, that's who. The guitar playing on this album is insane. Both Hanneman and King trade off riffs and solos as if in their own battle of Heaven and Hell (although there is quite a lot of Kerry King whammy bar wankoff on display all throughout this short album). These six-stringed instruments are getting obliterated - take Angel of Death alone. That series of solos toward the end of the track is random, atonal, and utterly chaotic. However in this case I would not have it any other way. Elsewhere, the riffage is suited for slower moments; the opening of Criminally Insane and Postmortem prove that the band can reduce the speed without sacrificing the intensity. Angel of Death is a masterclass in how to open an album. Tom Araya's scream is arguably the best scream ever, and the proudest "stepped on a LEGO" moment I think captured on tape. Lombardo's drumming - that double bass drum onslaught before everything comes back for a final chorus tho!!! - is top notch throughout, and indeed on the whole album, because he keeps momentum going. Angel of Death, in particular, is just going straight for the throat, continuing to slice even when your head is firmly off of your shoulders. Lyrically, you will find more extreme lyrics in metal, whether they be the OTT and tongue in cheek Cannibal Corpse or the offense magnet that is Anal Cunt, but I doubt you'll find anything as dark or as diabolical as the lyrics penned by Hanneman and King. I mean - I know I keep going back to this track - let's be real: Angel of Death is the most graphic depiction of the Holocaust and the heinous experiments by Josef Mengele. Oh, and another thing, it's from the perspective of the bad guys. Read this: "Auschwitz, the meaning of pain The way that I want you to die Slow death, immense decay Showers that cleanse you of your life Forced in like cattle you run Stripped of your life's worth Human mice, for the angel of death Four hundred thousand more to die..." "Millions laid out in their Crowded tombs Sickening ways to achieve The holocaust Pathetic harmless victims Left to die Rancid angel of death Flying free" And morality police guardians think that this song advocates the Holocaust? It's pretty obvious that this song comes from a place of interest in the subject matter, but clearly there is no support for it. Then again, the song doesn't outright condemn the Nazis, even if the adjective "rancid" gives it away. The filler songs so to speak are still amazing. Necrophobic has this really cool hornet swarm sound to it, with Araya's motormouth commanding the proceedings. Then, with Reborn and Epidemic, we get a sort of medieval vibe being brought in. All I can think of is fire, in both the idea of burning the witch in the former song and burning the victims to prevent the spread of disease in the latter. Although a tough act to follow, Piece by Piece picks up where Angel of Death left off by just going for speed. The twin pairing of Altar of Sacrifice (a song actually about, you know, sacrificing virgins and even says "HAIL SATAN!") and Jesus Saves is actually genius. The former song is probably Kerry King's crowning achievement as a composer, and the opening minute of Jesus Saves is sludgy and slowburning as fuck, before...you guessed it, SPEEEEED! Speaking of Jesus Saves, please give a standing ovation to Mr. Tom Araya, not only being a bass player singer but by singing lyrics totally spitting in the face of his Catholic faith. The temptation to refuse to make art due to conflicts of beliefs is there from almost everyone, so for him to actually go along with it and mean it is a feat in and of itself. I'm sure he said four hundred thousand Hail Mary's after vomiting this out: "You go to the church, you kiss the cross You will be saved at any cost You have your own reality Christianity You spend your life just kissing ass A trait that's grown as time has passed You think the world will end today You praise the Lord, it's all you say" Yeah, this reads like an edgy 14 year old atheist. It's become a King staple to just lambast Christianity for the fuck of it. However, divorced from the purpose of the song - to piss off Christians - the guy does have a point. It's just that it's difficult to make out when Araya is trying to keep up with the onslaught of blast beats and crushing guitars. Raining Blood is overplayed for a reason: it is a furious masterpiece. After the end of Postmortem, another winner for my money thanks to its kickass riff, we get rain falling. Then, thudding drums, and feedback. The guitars enter - DUN DUN DUN - and then the album closer is set loose. The verses are almost the nail in the coffin, going as fast as anywhere on the album. The lyrics, too, are of resolution, a literal mutiny in Heaven. "Trapped in purgatory A lifeless object, alive Awaiting reprisal Death will be their acquiescence The sky is turning red Return to power draws near Fall into me, the sky's crimson tears Abolish the rules made of stone..." "Raining blood From a lacerated sky Bleeding its horror Creating my structure now I shall reign in blood" A sole guitar, and then - I kid you not, this is actually credited on the album - noise comes flooding through. The drums are going faster than before, the bass is totally buried, the whammy bars are being ripped out of their bridges. It's rising! It's going! IT'S GONNA- *clap of thunder and rain for fifty seconds* It's actually taken me longer to write this review than the album itself. I suppose I should take a leaf out of Slayer's book and use more brevity. This was a watershed album for me, I never professed to be a huge Slayer fan, mostly because I'm not mental enough to carve their logo on me with a razor blade while yelling SSSLLLLAAAAYYYYYEEEERRRR!!! at the top of my lungs, but I do appreciate them and their place in the arena of Metal as a whole. I am unsure if this or South of Heaven is my favorite Slayer album. Whilst RiB thrives on speed, SoH is a much more doom-laden, atmospheric album. Either way, I love this album and it is an absolute classic, deserving of all of its accolades. May you forever reign, my dark and twisted friend. Score: 4.5/5
Babymetal (stylized as BABYMETAL) are a Japanese kawaii metal band. The band consists currently of Suzuka Nakamoto as "Su-metal" (Vocal and Dance) and Moa Kikuchi as "Moametal" (Scream and Dance). The band is produced and created by Kobametal from the Amuse talent agency. Their vocals are backed by heavy metal instrumentation, performed by a group of session musicians known as the "Kami Band" at live performances.
Origin:
Tokyo, Japan
Genres:
Kawaii metal, heavy metal, J-pop, power metal, alternative metal
Years active:
2010–present
Labels:
Juonbu, BMD Fox, Toy's Factory, Amuse
Associated acts:
Sakura Gakuin, Karen Girl's, Yuyoyuppe
Website: babymetal.com
Members:
Su-metal
Moametal
Past members:
Yuimetal
The band was formed in 2010, with the original lineup of Su-metal (Vocal and Dance), Moametal (Scream and Dance), and Yui Mizuno as "Yuimetal" (Scream and Dance), with the concept of a fusion of the heavy metal and Japanese idol genres. Originally a sub-unit of the Japanese idol group Sakura Gakuin, Babymetal became an independent act in 2013, following Nakamoto's departure from Sakura Gakuin. Babymetal released their eponymous debut album in February 2014. Their second album Metal Resistance was released worldwide on April 1, 2016, charting well internationally for a Japanese band. Babymetal has also embarked on several tours, with a majority of their tour dates taking place outside of Asia.
On October 19, 2018, Babymetal announced that Yui Mizuno (Yuimetal) decided to leave the band due to poor health, following her absence from live performances since December 2017. Since her departure, the band has performed with one or more backup dancers called at live performances. In 2019, the band introduced three backup dancers that were present in a rotation on each live show to form a trio with Moametal and Sumetal, with the dancers being called Avengers.
Now that we have the brief history covered let's get into some greater detail about this monumental and divisive act...so let's start from the inception as it is known, I will warn you that this all may read as confusing as its subject, it will double back on itself from time to time, but anyway, Let's Do This. Kobametal, the band's producer and long-time heavy metal enthusiast, started planning to launch an idol/heavy metal fusion group in 2009 after he was impressed by Suzuka Nakamoto's performance with her previous group, Karen Girl's, thinking she was suitable to be the lead vocalist for the new group. The band was formed in 2010 in Tokyo, Japan, as the heavy music club (重音部 Jūonbu), or sub-unit, of the female idol group Sakura Gakuin, which was also newly formed that year. According to Kobametal, Yui Mizuno and Moa Kikuchi were added to complement Nakamoto's "unique stage presence" with their then small statures, dancing around her "like angels". None of the three members were familiar with metal music before the inception of the band. A fact that is no longer relevant, as the members really grew into the music with a dedicated interest.
Babymetal's first live appearance was on November 28, 2010, at Sakura Gakuin's first solo concert, Sakura Gakuin Festival ☆ 2010. In July 2011, Babymetal premiered the song, "Ijime, Dame, Zettai" ("No More Bullying"), at a Sakura Gakuin concert, but it would only be performed during live concerts for the time being. The band's first single, "Doki Doki Morning", originally appeared on Sakura Gakuin's debut album Sakura Gakuin 2010 Nendo: Message, released on April 27, 2011. A music video for the song was uploaded to Toy's Factory channel on YouTube on 12 October 2011, and was released as a DVD single in late 2011, under the independent Toy's Factory sub-label Juonbu Records. The music video totaled over 1 million views by the end of 2012.
Babymetal's first CD single was a collaboration with the band Kiba of Akiba, titled "Babymetal / Kiba of Akiba". Released in March 2012 by Juonbu Records, the single ranked at number three on the Oricon weekly indie chart, and number one in the Tower Records Shibuya weekly indie ranking. In the summer of 2012, the band released a music video for their next single, "Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!", directed by Hidenobu Tanabe. In August 2012, Babymetal debuted at Japan's Summer Sonic Festival, becoming the youngest act ever to perform at the festival, at the average age of 12. The same year, Babymetal performed outside of Japan for the first time, Anime Festival Asia 2012, in Singapore.
On January 9, 2013, the band debuted on a major record label with "Ijime, Dame, Zettai". Released under the main Toy's Factory label and Juonbu Records, it sold 19,000 copies in its first week and debuted at number six in the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart. In the spring of 2013, Nakamoto graduated from junior high school and therefore had to "graduate" from Sakura Gakuin (a group of elementary and junior high school girls). However, their management decided that Babymetal would not dissolve and would continue its activities as a band. The group released its next single, "Megitsune", on June 19, 2013, under Toy's Factory and the band's new sublabel BMD Fox Records.
On 10 and 11 August 2013, Babymetal again took part in the Summer Sonic Festival, performing both in Tokyo and Osaka. Later, in October 2013, Babymetal also became the youngest act ever to perform at the heavy metal music festival Loud Park. In November 2013, Babymetal released a promo video for the Japanese premiere of Metallica's movie Through the Never, and released its first live music video Live: Legend I, D, Z Apocalypse, which debuted at seventh place in the weekly Oricon Blu-ray Disc charts, and at second place among music Blu-rays. In December 2013 Babymetal performed overseas again, at Anime Festival Asia Indonesia 2013, and played for a second time in Singapore, after their first overseas Asian tour in 2012.
On 26 February 2014, Babymetal released its first, eponymous album. It contained thirteen tracks and was also available in a limited edition that included a DVD with music videos and live footage. The album was very well received by music critics as well as the public, selling over 37,000 copies in Japan its first week, debuting at number four on the Oricon Weekly Album Chart, and number two in Billboard Japan. It also topped iTunes Metal charts in Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, and reached number 187 on the US Billboard 200 chart on March 22; few Japanese artists have ever entered the chart. Their album also made it into the Heatseekers chart at number four. On March 1 and 2, 2014, the band gave two concerts at Budokan. With the average age of 14.7, they became youngest-ever female act to give a show there. The two concerts were attended by 20,000 people. On April 3, 2014, an episode of the Fine Brothers' YouTubers React show was uploaded to YouTube, covering the band, as well as the music videos of "Doki Doki Morning", "Iine!", and "Gimme Chocolate!!"; the band members' own reaction to the video would later be released on April 30, 2016.
Later in 2014, Babymetal embarked on their first world tour, the Babymetal World Tour 2014, performing in Paris, Cologne, and in the United Kingdom at the Sonisphere Festival 2014. They made their debut appearance in the United States on July 27 with a headlining show at The Fonda Theatre in Hollywood. They played Heavy Montréal 2014 in Canada on August 9 alongside Metallica and Slayer, and also performed at Summer Sonic 2014 in Japan on the Mountain Stage with bands such as Avenged Sevenfold and Megadeth. Babymetal was also the opening act to five of Lady Gaga's concerts in her "ArtRave: The Artpop Ball" 2014 tour in August along the western United States. Babymetal also released their second live album Live: Legend 1999 & 1997 Apocalypse on October 19, 2014, featuring their live performances at both the NHK Hall and at Makuhari Messe Event Hall from 2013.
By the end of 2014 it was obvious that this was a very divisive group among the community of metalheads globally. The more open minded ones embracing the group after the initial WTF moments wore off and their unique brand of metal was recognized. Then there were the "Elitist" metalheads, the faction of the fandom that could not accept this "cute" form of a music style that is typically about violence and power. These fans started creating websites and social media pages that mocked the group at every turn. These endeavors however didn't sway the fans of this group and in all reality, many of these "elitist" metal fans eventually accepted that this group isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
In August 2014, it was announced that the band would be returning to England to play another show at London's O2 Academy Brixton on November 8, their final European show of the year as part of the group's "Babymetal Apocalypse" phase. It was later announced that the band would also be returning to New York City, which they had visited earlier in the year without giving an actual performance, performing in the Hammerstein Ballroom on November 4. At their Brixton performance, the band debuted a new song titled "Road of Resistance." Later revealed to be a collaboration with Sam Totman and Herman Li of prominent power metal band DragonForce, the song was subsequently released as a bonus track of their first live album Live at Budokan: Red Night, simultaneously released on January 7, 2015 along with the band's third live video album Live at Budokan: Red Night & Black Night Apocalypse, and later released as a digital single. Li later revealed via Twitter and Facebook posts that he and Totman had been working on the song's guitar parts since 2013. In 2015, the re-released their eponymous album via earMusic and RAL/Sony Music Entertainment. Ahead of their performance at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards on June 15, the trio made a surprise appearance during DragonForce's set at Download Festival, performing "Gimme Chocolate!!", despite event organizer Andy Copping stating that he would never book the band.
During the band's headlining shows at Yokohama Arena in December 2015, announced a second studio album to be released on April 1, 2016, as well as a world tour starting in London at the Wembley Arena, and concluding in Japan with a debut at the Tokyo Dome. On January 15, 2016, the second album's title was revealed to be Metal Resistance.
Their second album had shown differences from their debut album. Yuimetal states that “compared to the first album and definitely the second album they challenged themselves to a lot of new, different types of genres of music, even more than before.” Another difference is that there is more use of positive lyrics than ever before. The band made a point to provide a wide variety of styles to attract a wider audience. They even tried to do a full song in English.
The band came up with the album title “Metal Resistance” because they believed it represents who they are and what they do as Babymetal. Su-metal said that “it’s about them exploring new, different aspects of what they can do.”
On March 13, the band's producer, Kobametal, received an Excellence Award from the Association of Media in Digital (AMD) in Japan for his success in promoting the band internationally. On April 2, one day after the release of Metal Resistance, Babymetal became the first Japanese act to headline Wembley Arena, with the largest sale of merchandise for a single day event in the venue's history, coinciding with the highest ever entry for an album in the UK charts for a Japanese act. The Guardian gave their Wembley performance a rating of five out of five stars. On April 5, Babymetal made their U.S. television debut, performing "Gimme Chocolate!!" on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Babymetal were added as a character skin in the Wii U video game Super Mario Maker in 2016.
On May 26, 2016, WWE's Triple H announced on Twitter that Babymetal's song "Karate", along with A Day to Remember's "Paranoia", would be used as official theme songs of NXT TakeOver: The End. On July 18, the band made a special appearance at the Alternative Press Music Awards where they performed "Karate" before being joined onstage by Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford. Halford, along with Nakamoto and the Kami Band, performed an abridged version of "Painkiller", followed by a performance of "Breaking the Law" where they were rejoined by Mizuno and Kikuchi on guitars. On July 27, Metal Hammer readers voted Babymetal's debut album as the best album of the 21st century. In September 2016, Warner Bros. announced that a hybrid live action-animation fantasy-adventure short form series featuring the members of the band was under development. The series would be developed by Blue Ribbon Content in collaboration with Amuse Group USA (an Amuse Inc. subsidiary based in the United States). The band's producer, Kobametal, is also involved with production of the series.
On September 19 (Red Night) and September 20, 2016 (Black Night), Babymetal ended their Babymetal World Tour 2016: Legend Metal Resistance by performing at the Tokyo Dome, with both nights sold out and approximately 55,000 people attending each night. These included fans from Japan and many others from around the world. Yuimetal admitted she was "still in shock" that she was playing at the venue. Moametal felt the same, calling it "a big challenge for young girls of our age to stand on that stage". Su-metal explained that "In Japan we have played many big venues like Budokan and others, but Tokyo Dome was always a place that I have been dreaming of performing at." In December 2016, Babymetal supported the Red Hot Chili Peppers during The Getaway World Tour in the UK. During their final show on the tour, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith joined Babymetal onstage to perform their covers of Judas Priest's "Painkiller" and "Breaking the Law". After the performance, Smith thanked Babymetal for being on tour with them and led the audience in singing "Happy Birthday" to Su-metal.
In January 2017, Babymetal supported Metallica for their WorldWired Tour at Gocheok Sky Dome and also appeared in Japan's performance of the Guns N' Roses' Not in This Lifetime... Tour as the opening act. In April 2017, Babymetal supported the Red Hot Chili Peppers during The Getaway World Tour in the US. In June 2017, Babymetal performed at the KISW Pain in the Grass music event in Auburn, Washington. During the summer of 2017, they supported Korn on their Serenity of Summer Tour. Afterwards, they commenced their The Five Fox Festival in Japan tour.
In October 2017, Babymetal were officially revealed as the performers of the "Unikitty Theme" for the Unikitty! TV series. On December 2 and December 3, 2017, Babymetal performed at the Hiroshima Green Arena, with the shows billed Legend "S" Baptism XX. This was the first time the group performed in Su-Metal's hometown of Hiroshima, and it was an early coming of age celebration for her, since December 20, 2017 was her 20th birthday (as hinted in the show title), the age of majority in Japan; the lyrics to "Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!", about a girl's fifteenth birthday, were even modified for the occasion. This was also Babymetal's first performance without all three members, as Yuimetal was unable to perform due to illness.
On December 30, 2017, Kami Band guitarist Mikio Fujioka fell from an observation deck; he died from his injuries on January 5, 2018.
On April 1, 2018, Babymetal posted a mysterious video entitled "Metal Resistance Episode VII – The Revelation" on their YouTube channel. In the video, it is explained that a "dark side" of Babymetal exists, "with seven metal spirits", and that a "new era is about to begin". On May 1, they announced via Twitter that they were launching their own record label, named Babymetal Records. One day later, they posted another cryptic message via Twitter and Instagram, stating that "no one will know who, when, where, or how, the Chosen Seven will be presented, only the Fox God knows." Over the next week, they posted a series of cryptic images onto their Instagram story, labelled 1-7, and displaying mysterious, black and white imagery in anticipation of the tour and the Chosen Seven.
On May 8, 2018, just ahead of the Babymetal World Tour 2018, the band released a music video for a new single, "Distortion". Yuimetal was absent from Babymetal's tour of the United States in May 2018, with no advance warning. Amid fan speculation on Mizuno's status with the group, a representative of 5B Management, the American management company representing Babymetal, replied to an inquiry from Alternative Press Magazine by saying that "Yuimetal remains a member of the band, but she is not on this current U.S. tour." The reply also hinted about "a new narrative for the future of the band which is currently evolving" and a "storyline" that "has changed." However, Yuimetal was also absent from Babymetal's European tour in June 2018, and her appearance for the Asian leg remained unconfirmed. Babymetal has since performed at Rock on the Range in Columbus, Ohio, the Download Festival in Donington Park, United Kingdom, and the Rock am Ring and Rock im Park festivals in Germany.
On July 9, 2018, the band won the champion of Heavy Metal World Cup 2018.
On October 19, 2018, shortly before the Japan leg of the tour, the band released a new single, "Starlight". On the same day, the band officially announced Yuimetal's departure from the group. Mizuno has since released a statement explaining her decision and her desire to pursue a solo career...however this was done via Amuse press releases and some fans question the validity of these statements as the whole truth. There are still a wide variety of theories as to the real reason Yui departed the band. Given the history of the Japanese music industry, especially concerning the Idol industry as a whole, some of these fan theories are not without merit.
On October 30, 2018, the Apocrypha: The Legend of Babymetal graphic novel was released by Z2 Comics, with story by "The Prophet of the Fox God" and art by GMB Chomichuk. The story presented the legend of the Three as they traveled through different time periods to combat evil.
The 2018 tour year was heavily panned by a large portion of the fan base and was seen as convoluted and flat out broken, the "chosen seven" story pretty much fell flat leaving many fans confused as to what Koba was doing to the obviously winning formula they started with. Near the end of this arc, and after the Yui departure press release the group started abandoning this questionable formula and rolled it back to a trio utilizing the talents of a third temporary member Saya Hirai, and rolling it back to more traditional BABYMETAL fare...the fans started coming back after this change, thanks to the obvious chemistry of these 3 and the familiarity and fun of it just being a trio once again...however Saya was only a filler and even greater things were about to happen.
On April 1, 2019, Babymetal announced, via Twitter, that they would be releasing their third album later that year. On May 10, 2019, the band released the single "Elevator Girl". On May 29, 2019, it was announced that Babymetal will perform at the Glastonbury Festival in England on June 30, making them the first Japanese band to play on one of the festivals main stages. Babymetal also plans for their first arena concert in the United States at The Forum in Los Angeles, CA, set for October 11, 2019. This was later revealed to coincide with the release of the band's third album Metal Galaxy with its featured song "Da Da Dance". It was featured on NPR's "best new albums of the week" the week of its release. On July 1, 2019, Babymetal released a new single from the upcoming album and a video entitled "PA PA YA!!", featuring F Hero. The video, shot at one of their shows in Yokohama, also includes touring member Kano Fujihira, one of three girls currently rotating in Yui's place - Kano Fujihira, Riho Sayashi and Momoko Okazaki - who are known as the "Avengers".
In October 2019, the band became the first Asian act to reach the peak of Billboard Top Rock Albums Chart.
Most of Japanese pop idols show a bright atmosphere, light music, smiles and a charming face. However, Lorraine Plourde has argued that Baby Metal reminds people of a slightly darker, slightly more complex version of cuteness. The band defines its style as a new genre called "kawaii metal" ("kawaii" meaning "cute") and clarifies that it is "a mix of J-pop idol and heavy metal". The group has also been described as alternative metal, death metal, power metal, and speed metal.
Tristan Peterson, of Metal Obsession, remarked in his review of the band's debut album "This band was created for the demographic of “Music that your Japanese Boyfriend/Girlfriend, who doesn’t really like Metal, would enjoy.” as well as "[Babymetal] has made metal cute without losing any of its edge."
Patrick St. Michel from Japanese music and culture site MTV 81 praises the "pure, headbang-inducing energy" of the group's live performances and describes their style as a mixture of "...seemingly disparate sounds of heavy metal and idol pop, creating music anchored both by throat-mauling screeches and cuddly choruses." The magazine Metal Hammer described their act using the formula "Short skirts, school girl charm and squeaky voices — just like in the manga comics. But they mix the whole thing with Metal."
Lyrical themes found in Babymetal's music focus on real-world issues. Also, they give the message of positivity and self-empowerment with the atmosphere of their music containing less serious and playful themes. To be specific, the body image concerns of girls and women pressured by society to remain thin and also bullying, while they also sing about what it's like going to your first concert, the concept of an "ideal woman" and chocolate, subjects which critics say are a step away from typical lyrical styles used by most metal bands. However these topics and lyrical themes are a refreshing change of pace given the traditional subjects of violence, debauchery, and other misogynistic themes that the various sub-genres tend to produce.
Su-metal is the main vocalist, credited on Babymetal's official site with vocals and dancing, while Moametal and Yuimetal are credited with scream and dance, on either side of her in a triangle formation. In the band's early years, the band members did not speak directly to the audience, or smile at the crowd, but over time the band has incorporated more audience engagement and call and responses into their performances. Between songs, Babymetal do not engage with the crowd. Instead, during this time there will be a blackout, or, in situations where that is not possible, they will freeze in a pose or turn away from the crowd.Early on Babymetal's costumes took a variety of cues from the popular Japanese Gothic and Punk Lolita styles, with an emphasis on red and black. Currently their costumes still take cues from the same type of styles, they included a bit of metal fashion and have gone into more black and silver...they also have toyed with black and gold as well in the recent past.
During the 2018 World Tour, due to Yuimetal's absence, the band performed with Moametal and Su-metal in front of one another, using risers to separate, while two backup dancers perform at the sides of the stage. Since her official departure, the traditional triangle formation has been restored, with a non-singing backup dancer performing in Yuimetal's place, something I touched on earlier as well.
Instead of the sign of the horns, the band uses the hand gesture of the kitsune to symbolise the band's supposed divine inspiration. Initially, the band members were shown photos of the sign of the horns, but mistook it for the head of a fox. Rather than correct the error, the management accepted the kitsune sign as the band's sign. Additionally, Babymetal style of moshing, known as mosh'sh (モッシュッシュ mosshusshu), has been described a safe, fun, friendly game of push and shove.
Their live presence has evolved as well over the years, Currently at their concerts, Babymetal are accompanied by a backing band. In their early stages, the backing band consisted of the "Babybones"—a group of nameless individuals dressed in skeleton costumes that would mime live performances while pre-recorded studio tracks were being used. In late 2012, Babymetal debuted a live band for their live performances which they referred to as "Full Metal Band" - a group of live musicians dressed in white robes and corpse paint. They have since been referred to by band members and fans as "Gods of Metal" and more recently "Kami Band". From late 2012 to early 2014, the two groups would alternate, with the Kami Band being used more for festival appearances and special events. At the Babymetal Death Match Tour in May 2013, the Kami Band performed all music live for the first time. As of early 2014, the Babybones band has been quietly retired, and the Kami Band has since been established as Babymetal's primary backing band.
The Kami Band has consisted of a rotating line-up of different musicians since its debut in late 2012. As of early 2018, however, the line-up has been relatively stable, consisting of guitarists Takayoshi Ohmura, Leda, and Isao, bassist Boh, and drummers Hideki Aoyama and Yuya Maeta with members occasionally substituting for one another if needed. Kami Band member Leda has contributed to Babymetal's music, most notably on their album Metal Resistance (credited as Ledametal).
Babymetal's music videos, which showcase their distinct visual aesthetic, have helped the band gain broad attention. Their video for "Gimme Chocolate!!" went viral in 2014 with USA Today's Brian Mansfield commenting that the "video looks like some kind of bizarre animé, with a dark-goth set and band members playing in skeleton costumes, and the three girls execute intricate choreography, flash heart signs and make windmill arm motions like they're playing air guitar"
In regards to their music video for the song “Karate", Moametal said that she’s “very proud that they are now representing this culture that came from Japan through their music, and it’s a way for more people outside of Japan to also learn what karate is all about.” The lyrics talk about never giving up and moving forward. Yuimetal stated that the choreography for the song represented the lyrics and that “it’s important to be able to express the messages that they want to put across through the music with their dance moves.” The majority of their lyrics are in Japanese and they see their choreography as a way to break the language barrier.
According to Kei "Kobametal" Kobayashi, the band's executive producer, the band was formed under the idea of a new type of metal, and the members of the band receive "divine messages" from the Fox God, though Nakamoto explained that the messages received were indirect, as they would be sent to Kobametal first. He stated that it was up to the people's decision to accept or reject the idea. Additionally, he rejected the notion of the band being a "metal" or "pop" act, preferring "the one and only Babymetal." Kikuchi joked that the three members did not decide to join the band, as it was a destiny chosen by the Fox God, whose goal is said to have the band perform and spread their music all over the world.
The band has received varied reception by the public. Some critics praised the band for being "creative" and "rule-breaking" in the metal genre, while others called the band a "novelty group" and a "silly balancing act". When asked about people who do not consider the band's pop-infused music "metal", Nakamoto acknowledged the claims and praised such accusations, warranting how metal purists have their own preferences for metal being a certain way, and taking them into consideration for the band's progress. Additionally, the band members believe in staying true to themselves and enjoying what they do, as she agrees is enough for them.
The fanbase, collectively referred to as "The One", has been noted by Mizuno to be a mixed demographic of varying age. Noting the fans of metal and pop, she described the "metalheads" who look like themselves, and the pop fans who dress and cosplay as them. She hopes to be able to continue to reach out to all different types of people. When asked about being role models for their fans and young girls, she considered it an honour. She further emphasized the importance of being able to reach out to the youth, especially for younger music fans branching out to the metal genre via Babymetal, noting her own lack of experience of metal before joining the band.
In December 10, 2013, Babymetal released Babymetal Apocalypse, an incomplete binder that would be gradually filled with pages intermittently made available later. Pages would include the lore of Babymetal, artwork and photos, and information on member-exclusive events, like "Apocrypha" during the Babymetal World Tour 2014. By purchasing the binder and entering a code included with the enclosed art book online, one could join the band's official fanclub called "Babymetal Apocalypse Web". A video uploaded to "Babymetal Apocalypse Web" members in December 2014 announced the transition to a new official fanclub called "The One", which started with limited edition releases for Live at Budokan: Red Night & Black Night Apocalypse, and would continue to release member-exclusive media with news published to the official fansite.
Babymetal is credited for creating the kawaii metal (“cute metal” in English) genre, which combines elements from J-pop and heavy metal. This genre has introduced metal to new audiences, and many new kawaii metal bands such as Doll$Boxx and Deadlift Lolita have formed since Babymetal’s debut. While most kawaii metal bands are based in Japan, the genre has begun to spread outside the country to places like South Korea, where kawaii metal bands like Pritz have formed. Furthermore, the reach of Babymetal’s influence has stretched far beyond Japan. In 2016 Babymetal became the highest charting Japanese band ever in the UK’s Official Charts history with the release of their album Metal Resistance. In the US, Metal Resistance was the first Japanese album to chart in the Billboard Top 40 in over 50 years, where it reached #39 in its first week. The last Japanese artist to break the Top 40 was Kyu Sakamoto in 1963.In 2019 Babymetal became the first Asian act to top the Billboard Rock Albums chart with the release of their third studio album Metal Galaxy.
Metal Galaxy and all of its current achievements proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that this group is back, in full force, and isn't going anywhere anytime soon. With tour dates going into 2020 and multiple festival engagements as well, let alone what ever other little secrets Koba and Amuse have up their collective sleeves, this is one group that will be around for quite some time...unless they go full Japanese Idol on us and just drop off the face of the planet all at once...but for all intents and purposes, that probably won't happen anytime soon.
Core members:
Su-metal (Suzuka Nakamoto) – lead vocals, and dancer (2010–present)
Moametal (Moa Kikuchi) – lead/background vocals, and dancer (2010–present)
Kami Band:
Takayoshi Ohmura – guitar (2013–present)
Leda Cygnus – guitar (2013–present)
Isao Fujita – guitar (2015–present
Boh – bass (2013–present)
Hideki Aoyama – drums (2013–present)
Anthony Barone – Kami Band; drums (2019–present)
Chris Kelly – Kami Band; guitar (2019–present)
CJ Masciantonio – Kami Band; guitar (2019–present)
Clint Tustin – Kami Band; bass (2019–present)
Avengers:
Riho Sayashi – backup dancer (2019–present)
Kano Fujihira – backup dancer (2019–present)
Momoko Okazaki – backup dancer (2019–present)
Past members:
Yuimetal (Yui Mizuno) – lead/background vocals, and dancer (2010–2018)
Mikio Fujioka – Kami Band; guitar (2013–2018; died 2018)
