GMM 2024 - BABY METAL.jpg

Babymetal

Thursday 20 June

Genre Kawai Metal
Country Japan

Three diminutive Japanese girls in school uniforms have been conquering the world with an unorthodox combination of shrill voices, rambunctious guitar violence, J-Pop idol music, a backing band called the Kami-Band in corpse paint and a visually enticing show. Babymetal was founded in 2010 with a mission to fuse traditional heavy metal with the Japanese idol genre. The lyrical content differs from the usual heavy metal subjects, focusing instead on such topics as chocolate, body image or bullying. The full-length debut of Su-metal, Yuimetal and Moametal hit like a tidal wave and was even named album of the month by Loudwire magazine in April 2015. Follow-up ‘Metal Resistance’ (2016) continued to flout all metal conventions, albeit from a more rock-based approach. In 2017 the trio were reduced to a duo when Yuimetal had to quit the band due to persisting health issues. In 2023 former backup dancer Momometal was promoted to full-time core member shortly after the release of their concept album ‘The Other One’. (#GMM24)