Review Summary: An addictive tongue-in-cheek parody of modern J-pop, Babymetal's first full length album proves to be pretty solid, despite some dull and repetitive moments.
One of the few groups daring to take "idol" J-pop to unseen heights, pop-metal trio Babymetal took Japan by storm within just two years. An offspring unit of Sakura Gakuin, Babymetal managed to quickly surpass their original group in popularity with their unique heavy metal-bubblegum pop mixture. In February of 2014, the group finally released their first self-titled album, which is becoming a global smash hit, invading the Japanese, American and Canadian iTunes charts.
Collectively speaking, the album continues its heavy metal-pop mixture, and the opening track, "Megitsune", remains one of the album's most memorable moments. Chockful of elements from the likes of electropop, Japanese folk, and, of course, heavy metal, the song's uniqueness works as a tremendous opener for the album. "Gimichoko!!" (or "Gimme Chocolate!!") is another memorable track, which has an undeniable hyperactive aura to it, and its true appeal is based upon the hyperactive, cutesy vocals of the trio, blended together with the clashing metalcore-esqued track. However, tracks like "Ii ne" dull the album's creative potential, and that track's potential is particularly diminished with the cliche rap interlude. Also, with an album that extends almost an hour, their style can be quite tiring and repetitive by the time the album is halfway through. However, there are a few tracks like "Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!" and "Onedari Dai Sakusen" that are definitely capable of captivating the listener's attention in the meantime. Also, Babymetal's first single, "Doki Doki Morning", is a blast to listen to as well, with its thrashy sound supplied by the supporting band, mixed with the cute and hypnotically addictive vocals of the trio. Essentially, this one four-minute song sums up what Babymetal's sound is all about in a nutshell.
All together, Babymetal's first album projects their hyperactive bubblegum metal style quite well. Although, by the middle of the album, Babymetal's style does tend to wear on the listener, and, since its duration lasts near an hour, the listener might be a bit bored, since the band's style, while ultimately admirable and definitely unique, starts to become dull and slightly repetitive. With that said, if you like your pop music heavy, yet still cuddly, then give this album a listen. It is definitely a one-of-a-kind spectacle, and one that has to be seen for what it is: a severe heavy metal sugar rush.
