I got the chance to listen to the newest album just before Fox Day (April 1st). Here’s my BABYMETAL Metal Resistance review.
For those who aren’t familiar with the latest BABYMETAL album, they split a few songs up between three versions. You can read more about the song difference here. Luckily, I was able to listen to the English version of Metal Resistance. I figured I’d give it a quick review as a BABYMETAL fan and a regular music fan. I’m not an expert, so you probably won’t be reading any super specific musical terms.
Road of Resistance
The first song on the album is called Road of Resistance, and has a run time of 5:20. Every BABYMETAL fan should have heard of this song by now since it was released on the worldwide version of the first album, and was even uploaded to the official BABYMETAL YouTube channel. This song was a collaboration with DragonForce, though it doesn’t say that in the song title (i.e. Feat. DragonForce). If you haven’t heard it, it’s a really great rhythmic metal song. It’s fast paced and has a ton of energy.
The live version sounds a bit different from the studio version — mainly the type of modifier used on the guitars.
KARATE
The second song on the album is called KARATE, and has a run time of 4:25. This is another song that was released on the official BABYMETAL YouTube channel. It even has its own music video. It’s a decent Metal Song with a few pop vocals. I think they had a nice mix in this song. Some of their older songs feel more pop than metal or more metal than pop, but this once is right down the middle.
Awadama Fever
The third song on the album is called Awadama Fever, and has a run time of 4:15. Some fans may have already heard a live version of this at the New Years Fox Festival concert. It seems a bit more pop than metal, but it’s not a bad song. The main complaint I have with it is the sound of the drums. They sound too fake (as in electronic drums) for most of the song. You may be able to find a video of the song online, and it’s mostly the same as the studio version.
YAVA!
The fourth song on the album is called YAVA!, and has a run time of 3:51. This is probably best explained as a mix between KARATE and Awadama Fever. The vocals sound a bit pop-ish, but the music is a decent metal. Nothing too spectacular, but far from bad.
Amore
The fifth song on the album is called Amore, and has a run time of 4:42. This is hands down my favorite song of the album. SU-METAL goes solo in this metal song that sounds a bit like Road of Resistance, or maybe I should say sounds like DragonForce. The music is fast, but the vocals are paced nicely and sound very smooth. It was definitely a surprise hit for me.
Meta Taro
The sixth song on the album is called Meta Taro, and has a run time of 4:09. I had absolutely no idea what to expect when I started this song. At first I thought the song sounded really lame with the intro it had. It was like some sort of electronica with drums that had an echo sound effect. However, after the intro, the song changed into this heavy and dark sounding metal. It was really awesome, though the vocals weren’t all that great over the music.
From Dusk Till Dawn
The seventh song on the album is called From Dusk Till Dawn, and has a run time of 3:51. The music in this song stands out over the girls and their singing. There are lyrics and vocals, but you can barely hear them. There’s a lot of long notes in the vocals, and the music sounds almost like a symphonic metal. Something you may expect from a goth or vamp band. I personally liked it, but I think some people who are more into the pop or the regular metal may be put off.
GJ!
The eighth song on the album is called GJ!, and has a run time of 2:59. This is a Black BABYMETAL song, meaning only YUIMETAL and MOAMETAL sing. The vocals are a bit light and popish like you would expect, but the music is a heavy type of metal. It sounds almost like the band Disturbed. I usually don’t like Black BABYMETAL songs, but this one wasn’t so bad.
Sis. Anger
The ninth song on the album is called Sis. Anger, and has a run time of 3:49. This is another Black BABYMETAL song. The music is a nice type of heavy metal that speeds up and slows down a few times throughout the song. The vocals are not as pop-sounding as GJ!, though. The slower parts sound a bit like Meta Taro, but the faster parts were more death metal.
No Rain, No Rainbow
The tenth song on the album is called No Rain, No Rainbow, and has a run time of 4:54. This song has been played a number of times at live concerts over the years. It’s a beautiful metal ballad and my absolute favorite BABYMETAL song, so I was very excited to hear it would be on Metal Resistance. Unfortunately, I was let down a bit once I heard it.
Everything seems toned down quite a bit compared to the live version. The instruments have a really quieter and even softer role behind SU-METAL. They almost completely removed the symbols from the intro, which may not be a biggie to some. But the big punch that usually comes from the guitars when the music picks up is more like a slightly strong breath. There is a little hope with the beautiful rhythm of the guitars near the halfway point. It sounds just like the live version, though a bit softer. The drums are significantly softer and in the background.
When it comes to the vocals, SU-METAL doesn’t really belt out the notes like she does in the live concerts. I know the live and studio versions often differ with bands and singers, but I was hoping she would really sing her heart out. Furthermore, they give SU-METAL this backup vocal sound during select parts of the song, which I didn’t care for. That sound makes it seem overly produced.
If you want to hear the live version now, search for it on Daily Motion or some other video platform. However, you may be a bit disappointed when you hear the studio version.
Tales of the Destinies
The eleventh song on the album is called Tales of the Destinies, and has a run time of 5:37. This is without a doubt the craziest BABYMETAL song to date. It speeds up, slows down, and goes all over. You won’t be able to keep up the first time you hear it. It’s almost like a crazy vocaloid song. Some sections of the song are sped up versions of the intro to the next song.
THE ONE
The twelfth song on the album is called THE ONE, and has a run time of 6:30. This song was already released on the official BABYMETAL YouTube channel. It’s another ballad, and sounds absolutely beautiful. The English versions of the album have only English lyrics, while the video on the YouTube channel is a mix of Japanese and English, and is a bit extended compared to this studio version. As you can see with the 6:30 run time, the song is still rather long, though not the 9:30 time of the live version. It’s basically the same song, except the ending of the studio version simply fades out. I prefer the live version that actually ends. Unfortunately, this video version fades out too. You’ll have to do a search for the original version from Yokohama Arena if you want to hear the real ending.
A lot of BABYMETAL fans weren’t too sure what to expect with this album. Some felt the first album was perfect, though I definitely pointed out some of the flaws in my first review (the Black BABYMETAL songs). Metal Resistance feels like a really interesting metal album. It wasn’t as pop, or even as EDM, as some of the songs from the first album. And it wasn’t even one type of metal, though it seemed to be more metal than anything. Is it perfect? No, not in my opinion. Of course, this is just my opinion and everyone has different tastes in music. If you’re a fan of BABYMETAL’s previous album, I would definitely recommend Metal Resistance!
And that’s all for my BABYMETAL Metal Resistance review. Of course, I’ll review the other two versions once I get my hands on them. Keep an eye on both my website and my YouTube channel until then!