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Post by Admin on Nov 19, 2014 23:41:13 GMT
 Metal Injection conducted an interview with BABYMETAL when the band visited New York City in early November. The Japanese pop-metal crossover sensation discussed their time in the States, the Fox God (the divine entity credited with creating BABYMETAL) and their future. The answers were all translated by their tour manager. Check out the chat below. BABYMETAL will release the "Live At Budokan: Red Night & Black Night Apocalypse" DVD/Blu-ray on January 7, 2015. The set will contain the band's Nippon Budokan performances from March 2014 when the three BABYMETAL singers/dancers became the youngest artists to ever appear at the famed venue. "Live At Budokan: Red Night & Black Night Apocalypse" will be made available in three formats: a DVD/Blu-ray box featuring both Nippon Budokan concerts (with the first dubbed "Red Night" and second "Black Night"); a CD titled "Live At Budokan: Red Night" containing an audio recording of the first Budokan show (the initial pressing of the CD will include the code to digitally download the new song "The One", which is a collaboration between BABYMETAL's production team and guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman of British epic power metallers DRAGONFORCE); and a Limited Box exclusive to the BABYMETAL fan club members, "Live At Budokan 'Budo-Can' - The One - Limited Box", a can-shaped package featuring the DVD/Blu-ray of both nights, plus the exclusive CD "Live At Budokan: Black Night" containing the audio recording of the second Budokan concert. Established in 2010, BABYMETAL is the offshoot of the Japanese pop idol group SAKURA GAKUIN that performs a distinctly Japanese mix of schoolgirl J-pop and heavy metal. BABYMETAL's members — Suzuka Nakamoto (a.k.a. Su-Metal, who handles vocals and dancing), Yui Mizuno (a.k.a. Yuimetal) and Moa Kikuchi (a.k.a. Moametal), the latter of whom both scream and dance — admit that they had never listened to metal before joining the group. The girls wear gothy schoolgirl costumes, do choreographed dance routines and bang their heads violently.  |
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Post by Admin on Nov 20, 2014 23:46:05 GMT
 Babymetal are a Japanese idol group composed of three Japanese teenagers – lead singer Suzuka Nakamoto and backup singers/dancers Yui Mizuno and Moa Kikuchi – dressed in armoured maid outfits; they are backed by five metal musicians, smoothed into a kind of anonymity by corpse paint. Their music unevenly bolts together metal and J-pop, each pushing at the seams between the genres. Their compositions are acts of manic compression. The band plays an inflexible form of death metal considerably illuminated by synth tones that sound both fluorescent and bladed. The song Iine contains a breakdown that resembles a Lex Luger beat, down to the nervy, rattling snares. Otherwise, Babymetal’s music seldom relaxes; it seems to flow inexorably forward. Listening to it is like being drawn through a kaleidoscope. Their sound is not without precedent. When chanting, the girls’ cadences actually resemble those of death metal singing. The music itself performs a function similar to most power metal; practical verses unpeel into astronomical choruses, like a mountain building into the sky. Babymetal are also visibly descended from the older hybrid forms of Japanese metal, particularly visual kei, a kind of Japanese glam metal that also contained dimensions of horror; X Japan, who were active in the 80s and 90s, wove pop and symphonic material into songs that were anatomically thrash. The most immediate contemporaries of Babymetal sonically are Osaka metal band Blood Stain Child, who derive their melodic sensibilities specifically from forms of dance music, and merge them asymmetrically with death metal. Some people had found themselves drawn to the band through J-pop. Others were huge fans of Yellow Magic Orchestra, which led them to electro-funk idol group Perfume, which led them to Babymetal’s extreme vertex of idol fusion. There were also innumerable metal shirts; groups as diverse as grindcore band Pig Destroyer and the Viking metal collective Amon Amarth. The two men I approached in spiked jean vests, however, insisted on their fierce devotion to foreign pop. “The thing with J-pop is it’s better than the pop music here,” one of them said. A pit opened up in the crowd about halfway through the set. People cautiously orbited it, unsure of how to translate moshing to music so fluorescent and congested.  |
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Post by Admin on Dec 21, 2014 23:45:17 GMT
 What’s cute, frilly and metal all over? BABYMETAL of course! From relative obscurity only two years ago, to doing various concerts around the world in 2014, the presence of BABYMETAL has been sudden, if not shocking. It’s hard to believe that the combination of idol music and hardcore metal has created something that many people are getting fired up over. In fact, BABYMETAL has such a fan base now that their self-titled first album was voted as the Number 1 Metal Album of 2014. Say what?!? The online metal magazine MetalSucks asked in a poll to rate the best metal album of 2014. It was a close vote, with Ne Obliviscaris’ Citadel reeling in 539 votes and Behemoth’s The Satanist getting a solid 388 votes. Nothing though could stop BABYMETAL’s rise to the top.  It’s not just the readers of MetalSucks that are getting all uppity about BABYMETAL. We are sure One Direction fans were surprised when they discovered what Harry Styles meant when he tweeted Being as this poll was conducted on “The Internet”, it’s hard to say whether or not this is a joke. One thing is adamantly clear though, BABYMETAL is the most divisive metal band of 2014. While purists might complain about any number of aspects about the band (idols, manufactured music, pop metal, etc.) BABYMETAL has proven that they have a large rabid fan base as they played to sold out concerts in three continents this year. Whether you are a fan or not, if you want to be in “the know” in the music scene, get familiar with the name BABYMETAL. Their massive number of fans will ensure that this band will continue to play their particular brand of metal for a while to come. |
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Post by Admin on Jan 6, 2015 23:48:09 GMT
"Road Of Resistance" (formerly referred to as "The One"), a brand new song from the Japanese pop-metal group BABYMETAL, can be previewed in the YouTube clip below. The track, which was debuted during BABYMETAL's November 8, 2014 concert at the Brixton O2 Academy in London, England, is a collaboration between BABYMETAL's production team and guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman of British epic power metallers DRAGONFORCE, whose guitar playing can be heard in the song. BABYMETAL will release the "Live At Budokan: Red Night & Black Night Apocalypse" DVD/Blu-ray on January 7. The set will contain the band's Nippon Budokan performances from March 2014 when the three BABYMETAL singers/dancers became the youngest artists to ever appear at the famed venue.  "Live At Budokan: Red Night & Black Night Apocalypse" will be made available in three formats: a DVD/Blu-ray box featuring both Nippon Budokan concerts (with the first dubbed "Red Night" and second "Black Night"); a CD titled "Live At Budokan: Red Night" containing an audio recording of the first Budokan show (the initial pressing of the CD will include the code to digitally download the song "Road Of Resistance"; and a Limited Box exclusive to the BABYMETAL fan club members, "Live At Budokan 'Budo-Can' - The One - Limited Box", a can-shaped package featuring the DVD/Blu-ray of both nights, plus the exclusive CD "Live At Budokan: Black Night" containing the audio recording of the second Budokan concert.  BABYMETAL's members — Suzuka Nakamoto (a.k.a. Su-Metal, who handles vocals and dancing), Yui Mizuno (a.k.a. Yuimetal) and Moa Kikuchi (a.k.a. Moametal), the latter of whom both scream and dance — admit that they had never listened to metal before joining the group. The girls wear gothy schoolgirl costumes, do choreographed dance routines and bang their heads violently. Many heavy metal fans have been reluctant to embrace BABYMETAL — which also includes producer Kobametal and a backing band of corpse-painted virtuosos — with some Internet forums calling them "the definition of a gimmick", "awful" and "metal for hipsters."  |
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Post by Admin on Jan 21, 2015 23:46:29 GMT
You just finished your biggest concert ever! How are you feeling right now?
It has always been our dream to play at Saitama Super Arena, so it is a real blessing. When I was at centerstage looking out at the crowd around us, it was almost mesmerizing to see 20,000 people all there for Babymetal, singing along with us.
You've been traveling around the world, but how was it to come back to Japan for this show?
This was our first show in 2015. It was as if I was able to apply everything I learned abroad on our world tour to today. The fans were singing with us, fist pumping to our songs; they were just so welcoming it felt good to be back in Japan.
You played a few U.S. concerts last year. How do your Japanese fans compare to American audiences?
I think the fans react to different parts of our show and songs in each country. In Japan, obviously the fans understand our lyrics, and they seem more in sync. Whereas in America, you really see the crowd go crazy during the uptempo songs, and that is something you don't see in Japan. I remember being pretty shocked at our first U.S. show.
Speaking of those early U.S. shows, you were one of the openers for dates on Lady Gaga's latest tour. Can you tell us some highlights from that experience?
In the beginning, you could see that the crowd was looking at us very curiously as they had no idea who we were. But as we played more songs and more shows, the fan reaction kind of changed. We started seeing people actually enjoying our set, some of them were even wearing our T-shirts in the crowd!
Did you get any advice from Gaga?
One time we met, I remember she told me that she really enjoys our music and wants us to continue working hard. She also said that one day when we get to play large arenas like her abroad that perhaps we will cross paths again. I definitely want to work hard for us to meet her again.
You also played your first show in New York last year. What did you think of New York City?
I love New York! The city is gorgeous, the people are so friendly. I have only been there two times now, [but] I must say it feels like our home away from home!
Babymetal was America's best-selling Japanese album last year. Do you feel your popularity growing?
Last year we were able to play shows outside of Japan, visiting cities that we never dreamed of visiting. To see that there were people there who are supporting what we do was shocking, but more than anything it helps us move forward.
And then looking forward to 2015, what goals do you have? What are you looking forward to?
We will be back in America again for Rock on the Range in May. I heard that Judas Priest—one of the bands revered as the God of Metal—will be performing at that festival too. I can't wait to see them!
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Who are some of your other favorite metal bands? What music does Babymetal listen to together?
Metallica! Perhaps you realized, but we always play Metallica in the venue before our show starts. It's great to see our crowd react to that as well.
You met Slayer recently. Can you tell us about that experience?
We actually met Slayer along with Anthrax at Sonisphere, and we gave them some Babymetal world tour T-shirts...During [our] London show we met with DragonForce and spoke about our song collaboration.
So what's the best part about being in Babymetal?
Through Babymetal, I have met so many new people, including a different me that I only meet when I perform as Babymetal.
When will you return to us in the States?
We just announced our world tour that will take place this coming May. I can't wait to go back!
Anything else you would like to add?
First of all, I want all our fans abroad to know that I am so glad to have met all of you at our concerts when we were there last year. Thank you for waiting for us! We are coming back, and we can't wait to see you again. Please come see us again!
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