Track Listing
CD1
- FUTURE METAL
- DA DA DANCE (feat. Tak Matsumoto)
- Elevator Girl
- Shanti Shanti Shanti
- Oh! MAJINAI (feat. Joakim Broden)
- Brand New Day (feat. Tim Henson & Scott LePage)
- ↑↓←→BBAB
- Night Night Burn!
CD2
- IN THE NAME OF
- Distortion (feat. Alissa White-Gluz)
- PA PA YA!! (feat. F.HERO)
- BxMxC
- Kagerou
- Starlight
- Shine
- Arkadia
1. FUTURE METAL
As the opening to the album, FUTURE METAL isn’t the longest track here, but I was immediately here for it when I hear a mix of synths and guitar riffs filter through my headphones. The fact that it reminds me of recent Final Fantasy sounds here kind of caught me attention and it’s just interesting especially coming from BABYMETAL, though SU-METAL does do some speaking, it’s not much and overall just introduces the album.
2. DA DA DANCE (feat. Tak Matsumoto)
As the first actual track from the album DA DA DANCE was going to be the first taste of the album’s overall feel and I’m kind of surprised this track mixed the metal genre with something a bit more dance-ish here and I’m really kind of surprised since BABYMETAL hasn’t really fused the two together for this mash. It’s a fun track to say the least and was a good choice to really kick the album off with, I’m sure Tak was the guitarist here so!
3. Elevator Girl
While I haven’t reviewed anything BABYMETAL since “METAL RESISTANCE”, their 2nd album, the group did release 4 digital singles between the releases from 2018 until this album’s 2019 release. Elevator Girl was the 3rd released and I was interested that the song felt a bit more poppy at the start before the double bass drum kicks on. I’m also rather surprised it’s short too and hearing SU-METAL singing here. Actually, it’s not surprising that I only hear SU-METAL (there’s a reason, maybe), but SU has gotten better vocally it seems, another curious wonder for the rest of the album!
4. Shanti Shanti Shanti
Used as the main promotional track from the album, Shanti Shanti Shanti caught me with it’s Arabian sitar-like atmosphere and all of a sudden I actually hear MOAMETAL, but she’s still rather in the back when compared to SU-METAL here. The unusual arrangement and sound is ear-catching and despite not having a strong metal hook on it, the kind of mix of genres is VERY unique and much praised here!
5. Oh! MAJINAI (feat. Joakim Broden)
I’m surprised the album has a lot of featured artists on it this time around, but with BABYMETAL’s popularity so big, it was bound to happen! Though I wasn’t expecting European metal musicians to be the choice for some. Joakim Broden from the Swedish band, Sabaton is featured here. I’m not sure what I was expecting for this track, but for whatever reason, it’s giving me an Irish Jig kind of feel, though what’s refreshing is hearing Joakim’s gruff vocals in this track since it’s the first track where it literally isn’t just SU-METAL. It’s an odd mix, I’ll give it that, but I feel excited and almost celebratory with this track. Then the chorus drops and it’s heavy and hearing SU and Joakim hitting notes low & high is surprisingly good, though it only happens once since the rest is the ~aye yai yai~ hook to the end as it leaves us with Joakim’s voice…really cool track overall!
6. Brand New Day (feat. Tim Henson & Scott LePage)
Another collaborative track, this time two members from the American band, Polyphia was found in this track! After a couple of experimentive tracks, Brand New Day does sound very American with the way it was handled especially in the arrangement. I’m kind of surprised that I hear SU & MOA actually singing in tandem with one another which pleases me in so many ways. Really interesting song and another unique one that sticks out on the album (something this first disc has been doing great so far!).
7. ↑↓←→BBAB
What an interesting title for a track to pop up next right? Though I wasn’t expecting synths and SU-METAL’s vocals under filters for the intro, but it returns us back into a cool metal sound, but like “DA DA DANCE” fuses the two styles into one for an interesting track that’s once again sticks out, but at the same time keeps the strong riffs and style throughout. Kind of a strange song because it leans more on its electronic roots more, but I still dig it.
8. Night Night Burn!
As the last track of the first disc, Night Night Burn! closes the disc in a powerful force and funny enough reminds me of “Megitsune!” in some ways especially the guitar riffs here. I wasn’t expecting the song to kind of have this Latin vibe to it, but I really enjoyed this mixture a lot especially the mood going between the two for sure, hell the pre-chorus is so tight and then it leads into it’s aggressive chorus. What a great track to come by and may be one of the favorites of the album (although it’s hard since the album so far is so impressive to me!).
CD2
1. IN THE NAME OF
Entering the second disc, IN THE NAME OF opens up quite ominously with some gothic chanting and some foreboding strings which is immediately triggering the idea that this side of the album is much more serious and more like “METAL RESISTANCE” sounding. I will say the minute-long opening may be long-winded, but the song has a nice heavy sound and there’s low growling vocals here and then it’s just a gremlin-like voice as well. While I don’t hear any of the singers (unless they’re the low vocals), it’s kind of more or less an instrumental piece, but an interesting start.
2. Distortion (feat. Alissa White-Gluz)
So Distortion was the first of the digital singles released and sadly is the only song YUIMETAL took part in (because she had to leave the group after the release). Though it never was tagged this way, the album has Alissa White-Gluz from the Swedish metal band, Arch Enemy. When I first heard this song it was incredibly in your face especially with the double kick bass drums, but this song is really awesome and just felt relentless and now with Alissa doing the growls I’m even more impressed. I think I could’ve used less of the double kick drums, especially in the 2nd run through the chorus, but this song is powerful and the chorus is amazing especially with SU-METAL probably giving her most soaring vocals yet on this album. Awesome track~
3. PA PA YA!! (feat. F.HERO)
The 4th digital single released prior to the album, PA PA YA!! feels more at home with BABYMETAL with the metal riffs and chanting that seems to suit lives almsot perfectly. I kind of enjoy the power behind it, but I could live without the title being chanted so much here. The featured artist had me a bit worried, a Thai rapper, F.HERO and his appearance in the song doesn’t quite gel as smoothly as other collabs on the album. Yeah, if anything this might be the first misstep of the album.
4. BxMxC
OK maybe, I thought the experimentation was all on the first disc, but BxMxC is a little like the way of “Elevator Girl” but a bit more harder-edged and it helps that the duo’s vocals are a bit more frenzied and going for some strange notes and some of the trap beats/synth hits are unique. Very headbanging of a song and interesting track overall.
5. Kagerou
Getting into Kagerou, it’s giving me Western vibes like “Brand New Day” but I think it’s mostly because it’s so straightforward of a song and doesn’t really have many surprises, but relies on it’s powerful arrangement to make it stick out. It may be kind of that regular metal song of the album, but it’s rather good regardless! Plus, SU sounds really nice here so there’s that to mention lol!
6. Starlight
Then we enter the 2nd digital single and what would have to be what they’d bring in after the powerhouse that was “Distortion” and the first release without YUIMETAL. I do like the way the song starts out quietly with vocals from the group before the song kicks in and the tune giving into its headbanging style. I actually would go and say that this felt like a song that came from “METAL RESISTANCE” in ways because it does sound similar to quite a few tracks from the album.
7. Shine
Kind of interesting we have our longest track up near towards the end of the album and Shine opens up almost as nicely as it should with light vocals and pretty and then it turns into a really nice power ballad of a song that probably should have ended the album lol. Once again I feel like SU-METAL does a really nice job singing the tune. I’ve been wondering where an epic song like this would’ve popped up and I’m not disappointed.
8. Arkadia
As we enter the final track of the album, Arkadia ends things off with a bang and once again with the same ominous tone that “IN THE NAME OF” had, but instead of sticking to it for very long, the track just blasts off and the band playing is just so fired up, especially their guitarist here which is giving me so many feels here. Wild song to end this album with but very much appreciated here.
Tracks Recommended
- Distortion (feat. Alissa White-Gluz)
- Night Night Burn!
- Brand New Day (feat. Tim Henson & Scott LePage)
- DA DA DANCE (feat. Tak Matsumoto)
- BxMxC
Song of Avoidance
- PA PA YA!! (feat. F.HERO)
I have to say hearing about BABYMETAL’s struggle during this era surprised me from their guitarist of the band, Mikio Fujioka passing away to YUIMETAL having to leave the group due to health issues sucked a lot, but it seems the remaining two pushed forward to release METAL GALAXY and it’s definitely their most experimental album yet, even more than their self-titled debut. There was just a lot of unique and interesting songs and bringing into the guest musicians was a nice move as well adding more to this worldwide feel to the album. I feel like this is moving BABYMETAL into new territories, but now as the group continue on as a duo, I’m hoping MOAMETAL gets pushed a LOT more, I felt like this was incredibly a SU-METAL show here and I barely heard MOAMETAL.. Hm…Oh and also why was this split in two discs? Was it because of having both FUTURE METAL and IN THE NAME OF being intro songs? Not sure if it really was necessary tbh. Anyways METAL GALAXY was pretty good, did slightly mellow itself out towards the end of the album, but I still pretty much dug it, may even surpass “METAL RESISTANCE”!
