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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
│ │
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│ + Babymetal - Babymetal + │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.Jan-25-2016 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │
│║ Genre........Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........2015 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......The_Patriarch Songs........15 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.en.babymetal.jp/home/á ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Babymetal Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : Babymetal Label : Ear Music ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Heavy Metal is all about breaking the rules. ║ │
│║ Going against a perceived norm. Is it possible ║ │
│║ that some of us have gotten, well, comfortable ║ │
│║ in that genre of rebellion? Metal music has ║ │
│║ been around long enough that fans have come to ║ │
│║ know what to expect, to a certain extent, ║ │
│║ because despite all the subgenres birthed from ║ │
│║ it, the same basic elements are there in terms ║ │
│║ of attitude, lifestyle, the visual aspects, and ║ │
│║ of course (and especially) the music. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ And every now and then, something comes along ║ │
│║ that shakes things up a bitùor a lot. Get your ║ │
│║ mind around this concept: BABYMETAL, a fusion of ║ │
│║ Kawaii (thatÆs Japanese for ôcuteö) and Metal. ║ │
│║ Originally released on February 26, 2014 under ║ │
│║ ToyÆs Factory in Japan, BABYMETALÆs debut album ║ │
│║ has been re-released under various record ║ │
│║ labels, including Ear Music, and includes two ║ │
│║ extra tracks (æRoad of ResistanceÆ, æGimme ║ │
│║ Chocolate!! Live at the O2Æ). ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ It goes without saying that BABYMETAL have ║ │
│║ become the subject of some controversy among the ║ │
│║ music world. Last year, the single and video ║ │
│║ for æGimme ChocolateÆ were making the rounds. I ║ │
│║ gave it a listen, but at that time, I couldnÆt ║ │
│║ make it through the entire song. I was ║ │
│║ flabbergasted. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ And I was sure that metal purists would be up in ║ │
│║ arms about it. Oh, the sacrilege! My first ║ │
│║ impression was that whomever came up with this ║ │
│║ basically took every surface stereotype of what ║ │
│║ they thought heavy metal encompasses, mashed it ║ │
│║ up, poured pink candy sugar on it, and set about ║ │
│║ marketing it to the masses. It pissed me off! ║ │
│║ I was all ready to go on a rant about it, but ║ │
│║ after simmering down, I figured it would be a ║ │
│║ quick fad, run its course, and that would be it, ║ │
│║ so no use getting all riled up about it. Then, ║ │
│║ about a month ago, the album showed up on the ║ │
│║ list of available reviews at Metal Shock. Since ║ │
│║ nobody was chomping at the bit for this one, and ║ │
│║ I just happened to be in one of those moods, I ║ │
│║ thought, OKàIÆll review ità(heh, heh)àand I ║ │
│║ wonÆt spare my opinions. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Before I delved in, though, I was interested in ║ │
│║ what the music-loving public thought about the ║ │
│║ band and their style. On the subject of what ║ │
│║ exactly defines metal, YouTube commenter ║ │
│║ ômiffed123ö wrote, ôcute doesnÆt freaking belong ║ │
│║ in metal.ö Yeah, you tell Æemà But Eric ║ │
│║ Richards, another YouTube user, presented a ║ │
│║ valid counterpoint that had to be considered: ║ │
│║ ôWe were saying the same thing in the bay area ║ │
│║ during the Æ80s. Pink spandex and blonde frizzy ║ │
│║ hair [werenÆt] supposed to be metalàIf you want ║ │
│║ to be metal, there are certain rules. The ║ │
│║ problem is that people didnÆt obey the rules. ║ │
│║ And not obeying the rules is part of being ║ │
│║ metal. Now thereÆs a rule that says you canÆt be ║ │
│║ cute? So basically, what you are saying is that ║ │
│║ they are totally unconventional and being ║ │
│║ completely off-the-wall. If that isnÆt metal, I ║ │
│║ donÆt know what isàIf you really want to be ║ │
│║ metal, you donÆt care about rules. All you care ║ │
│║ about is being the baddest most awesome mofos in ║ │
│║ the universe. And right now, thatÆs Babymetal.ö ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Refuting the naysayers, Mr. Richards went on: ║ │
│║ ôWhy do you have a problem with metal bands and ║ │
│║ gimmicks? GWAR and KISSûhello!!!! Hell, hair ║ │
│║ metal was a gimmick. Also, realize the genre ║ │
│║ that æis dominated by middle-aged menÆ were once ║ │
│║ teenagers that didnÆt know what metal or thrash ║ │
│║ was because they were creating it. It was fun, ║ │
│║ creative, and full of energy and attitudeùthings ║ │
│║ that BABYMETAL has in abundance. Although I ║ │
│║ think a problem many have is that their attitude ║ │
│║ is ækawaiiÆ, and they are not posers in the cute ║ │
│║ department. The musicians are certainly no ║ │
│║ posers either, and could probably teach Yngwie a ║ │
│║ few things. So what you have here are three very ║ │
│║ ægenkiÆ or energetic girls and four world class ║ │
│║ musicians that bring energy, excitement, ║ │
│║ originality, and fun back to metal. WhatÆs not ║ │
│║ to love?ö ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Some popular YouTubers were brought together and ║ │
│║ asked their thoughts of the band and the ║ │
│║ concept. Initially, they seemed aghast at the ║ │
│║ unusual mix of genres. I think Scott Hoying ║ │
│║ summed it up when he said: ôItÆs like bubble gum ║ │
│║ meets the devil.ö Eventually, though, everyone ║ │
│║ in that group was getting into it, including ║ │
│║ Steve Zaragoza of SourceFed who said, ôAs long ║ │
│║ as weÆre introducing metal to a whole new group ║ │
│║ of peopleùin some way, this could be like the ║ │
│║ Little Golden Books of Metal. I donÆt think ║ │
│║ IÆve embraced a band so quickly before in my ║ │
│║ life!ö. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Well, the stats donÆt lie: the original release ║ │
│║ reached #24 on the Billboard Hard Rock albums ║ │
│║ chart and #16 on the Billboard Heatseekers ║ │
│║ albums chart. On March 1, 2014, they became the ║ │
│║ youngest female artists to hold a live concert ║ │
│║ at Nippon Budokan. And, as of July 2, 2015, ║ │
│║ having been on the Billboard World albums chart ║ │
│║ for 58 weeks, the album was at #1ùfor the second ║ │
│║ week in a row. Evidently, quite the fan base ║ │
│║ exists (BABYMETALÆs following is, um, HUGE). ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Entertainment company Amuse, Inc.Æs mysterious ║ │
│║ producer and rabid music fan KOBAMETAL (Key ║ │
│║ Kobayashi) could see that while metal still ║ │
│║ enjoys a good following, it doesnÆt seem to be ║ │
│║ getting bigger so much as it is getting older. ║ │
│║ A metal purist himself, he realized that ║ │
│║ something different and original was essential ║ │
│║ to bring in new fans and keep metal music ║ │
│║ constant. He came up with the idea of combining ║ │
│║ two of his favorite genres, idol pop and metal. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Kobayashi tapped some of JapanÆs best talent for ║ │
│║ the band. BABYMETALÆs front lineùSU-METAL ║ │
│║ (Suzuka Nakamoto), MOA-METAL (Moa Kikuchi), and ║ │
│║ YUI-METAL (Yui Mizuno) are former members of ║ │
│║ SAKURA GAKUIN, a Japanese pop girl group which ║ │
│║ institutes a special system with their members: ║ │
│║ after they graduate from junior high, they ║ │
│║ ôgraduateö from the group. Helping to bring ║ │
│║ KobayashiÆs vision to fruition is the Kami Band, ║ │
│║ BABYMETALÆs backline. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ They are the energetic, hard core foundation for ║ │
│║ the songs, regardless of subject matter. The ║ │
│║ band members arenÆt fixed; the guys have a lot ║ │
│║ of side projects going on, as accolades and ║ │
│║ requests for their talents increase. Currently ║ │
│║ (to the best of my knowledge, based on what I ║ │
│║ could find in research) their lineup features ║ │
│║ Takayoshi Ohmura and Mikio Fujioka (guitars), ║ │
│║ BOH (bass guitar), and Hideki Aoyama (drums). ║ │
│║ Other notable members include Leda Cygnus ║ │
│║ (guitar), Yuya Maeta (drums) and IKUO (bass ║ │
│║ guitar). ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The guys in the Kami Band, with their faces ║ │
│║ painted a stark black and white, look like ║ │
│║ Immortal went Kabukiùand they can seriously ║ │
│║ shred. Suzuka, Moa, and Yui are so frigginÆ ║ │
│║ adorable I canÆt stand it (call it a mommy-bias, ║ │
│║ but itÆs true). Their red and black matching ║ │
│║ outfits are a combination of girly and metal ║ │
│║ elements, tutus and pigtails included. SuzukaÆs ║ │
│║ voice is strong, and she leads the trio and ║ │
│║ their songs with a sense of control. Their ║ │
│║ voices are pure and lovely, and they perform and ║ │
│║ harmonize well together. The girls were ║ │
│║ apparently somewhat oblivious to heavy metal ║ │
│║ before KOBAMETAL put the group together, but ║ │
│║ theyÆre all on board with it now (Moa is ║ │
│║ learning guitar; Yui digs Ariana Grande AND ║ │
│║ Cannibal Corpse!). Suzuka, in a recent ║ │
│║ interview with Loudwire, said, ôMost of our ║ │
│║ songsÆ lyrics have messages toward girls like ║ │
│║ ourselvesàWe are hoping to get the girls who ║ │
│║ donÆt know about metal to listen to our music.ö ║ │
│║ Well, coolàbecause as of yet, IÆve had trouble ║ │
│║ finding other fans of, say, Pantera at PTA ║ │
│║ meetings and school functions, and after all the ║ │
│║ academic-related talk, what else interesting is ║ │
│║ there to talk about while eating stale pretzels ║ │
│║ and drinking from juice boxes? ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ As a fan of heavy metal, a parent (of at least ║ │
│║ one teen with a fascination for Japanese art and ║ │
│║ culture) and as a (mostly unbiased) music ║ │
│║ journalist, I finally caved and reluctantly ║ │
│║ listened to ôBABYMETALö all the way throughà ║ │
│║ andàto my utter shock and surpriseàI kinda liked ║ │
│║ it. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ I was conflicted, though: while I was digging ║ │
│║ on the heavy, dark feel of the music, I felt I ║ │
│║ was being hypnotized by one of those swirly, ║ │
│║ colorful all-day lollipops and had a strange ║ │
│║ urge to get out my Magic Bubble Wand (yes, I ║ │
│║ still have one). ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ æBabymetal DeathÆ opens the album with a 1:16 ║ │
│║ long synth intro after which drums and guitar ║ │
│║ kick in, replicating the sound of machine guns, ║ │
│║ moving on to something thrashworthy. Then, what ║ │
│║ sounds like a death-metal Cookie Monster spells ║ │
│║ out ôB-A-B-Y-M-E-T-A-Lö, after which ôDeath!ö is ║ │
│║ chanted in between a spoken phrase by SU-METAL. ║ │
│║ Hey, my 11-year old thought it was pretty cool. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The album is full of surprises. Two tracks that ║ │
│║ are more in the melodic power metal vein really ║ │
│║ stand out. æMegitsuneÆ (a female fox) seems to ║ │
│║ be about women coming into their own and being ║ │
│║ strong after pretending not to mind the gender ║ │
│║ oppression for so long. In æAkatsukiÆ, the pain ║ │
│║ of lost love cuts like a sword to the heart. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ æGimme ChocolateÆûwell, this one needs no ║ │
│║ explanation, really. But anybody with a real ║ │
│║ chocolate jones that strong isnÆt fretting about ║ │
│║ the aftermath of indulgence (trust me; IÆm an ║ │
│║ expert). Although the song is about my favorite ║ │
│║ thing in the world, it still annoys the hell out ║ │
│║ of me. æIineÆ has an electronic-pop feel with a ║ │
│║ little juvenile rap thrown in the middle, and ║ │
│║ the lyrics pretty much reflect the intended ║ │
│║ age-set. That continues with æDoki Doki ║ │
│║ MorningÆ, on which the three girls sing of the ║ │
│║ preteen angst of getting ready for a school day, ║ │
│║ while the band shreds behind them. A little ║ │
│║ girl lays on the charm in æOnedari DaisakusenÆ: ║ │
│║ come on, Daddy-Oùfork over the cash! ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ æSong 4Æ, while keeping with the general strange ║ │
│║ feel of the album (and maybe taking it up ║ │
│║ another notch), is one of the most contrasting ║ │
│║ mash-ups in the tracklist. Smack in the middle ║ │
│║ of this thrashfest the song turnsàare you ready ║ │
│║ for this?àREGGAE!?!? Apparently Yui and Moa ║ │
│║ came up with this little ditty about counting a ║ │
│║ couple of years ago and tortured everybody with ║ │
│║ it. æSong 4Æ is split-personality on steroids ║ │
│║ (remember the movie Sybil?) And yetàfor ║ │
│║ whatever reason that I cannot explain, I love ║ │
│║ its demented feel. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ When you think of the most unlikely topic for a ║ │
│║ song, what comes to mind? IÆll bet it isnÆt ║ │
│║ eating squid arms! HA! But waitùyou can have ║ │
│║ the sweets, too. æUni Uki MidnightÆ is a ║ │
│║ melodic ode to the Japanese delicacy, and to ║ │
│║ celebrating and then getting so full you want to ║ │
│║ go to sleep. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Up for a game of hide-and-seek tag? æCatch Me ║ │
│║ If You CanÆ is a theme song for you. ItÆs ║ │
│║ another fun departure from the norm with a ║ │
│║ catchy melody and those irresistibly cute little ║ │
│║ voices of theirs. But donÆt get me wrong; that ║ │
│║ earlier Pantera reference was on purpose. The ║ │
│║ music backing up these pre-pubescent stories is ║ │
│║ heavy as hell. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ æRondo of NightmareÆ breaks from the kawaii a ║ │
│║ bit with haiku about the darkness and a ║ │
│║ mysterious figure lurking in the shadows. ║ │
│║ Childhood, treasured, is in the pastà Mourn it, ║ │
│║ but only for a moment, because when ║ │
│║ æHeadbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!Æ plays, itÆs time to ║ │
│║ grow up and whip out the neck brace. æIjime, ║ │
│║ Dame, ZettaiÆ deals with the topic of bullyingù ║ │
│║ the victims and the offendersùand how it hurts ║ │
│║ everyone. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The anthemic æRoad of ResistanceÆ, one of two ║ │
│║ extra tracks, is among the strongest songs on ║ │
│║ the album and shows a maturing, especially in ║ │
│║ the vocal delivery (of lyrics that speak of ║ │
│║ unity for a better future) and in its alignment ║ │
│║ with the metal genre. I suspect their drummer ║ │
│║ was ready to pass out after beating out ║ │
│║ something that would make even AnthraxÆs æGung ║ │
│║ HoÆ seem a little slowà ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Right now, although the lyrics seem to be aimed ║ │
│║ at those in the same general age group as Su, ║ │
│║ Yui, and Moa, BABYMETALÆs fan base has a wide ║ │
│║ range in terms of age. The girls are growing up ║ │
│║ so fastùand as they mature, I think this will ║ │
│║ reflect more in the songs. I canÆt say for sure ║ │
│║ if that would be a good or a bad thing, because ║ │
│║ their appeal is the combination of qualities ║ │
│║ (from one extreme to the other) that separate ║ │
│║ them from the mainstream and make them stand out ║ │
│║ so starkly. If BABYMETAL brings more people to ║ │
│║ metal, that could be a good thing, because then ║ │
│║ maybe weÆd no longer have to lament about being ║ │
│║ ostracized or misunderstood. But waitàwasnÆt ║ │
│║ that how the whole movement got started? ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ BABYMETAL are breaking the rules, rebelling ║ │
│║ against conformity, and rocking hard. To ║ │
│║ reiterate Mr. RichardsÆ declaration: If that ║ │
│║ isnÆt metal, I donÆt know what is. But metal is ║ │
│║ more than just the music. ItÆs attitude, ║ │
│║ lifestyle, and a myriad of other things that ║ │
│║ make up the essence. My litmus test for any ║ │
│║ band is whether or not they come from a place of ║ │
│║ authenticity, regardless of what genre is ║ │
│║ represented. Despite the total mind-trip that ║ │
│║ is this album (major understatement), IÆve come ║ │
│║ to the conclusion that it isnÆt a joke. These ║ │
│║ are all very talented, hardworking musicians and ║ │
│║ performers who are serious about their craft and ║ │
│║ entertaining their fans. This is quite evident ║ │
│║ from the massive, enthusiastic crowds attending ║ │
│║ their shows. Yeah, folks, thatÆs real. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ BABYMETAL will no doubt continue to be a subject ║ │
│║ of debate. Ultimately, though, youÆll have to ║ │
│║ listen for yourself and make up your own mind ║ │
│║ about them. But be carefulùthey grow on you. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - Babymetal Death [05:46] │
│ 02 - Megitsune [04:08] │
│ 03 - Gimme Chocolate!! [03:51] │
│ 04 - Iine! [04:08] │
│ 05 - Akatsuki [05:26] │
│ 06 - Doki Doki Morning [03:45] │
│ 07 - Onedari Daisakusen [03:16] │
│ 08 - Song 4 [04:02] │
│ 09 - Uki Uki Midnight [03:18] │
│ 10 - Catch Me if You Can [03:54] │
│ 11 - Rondo of Nightmare [03:34] │
│ 12 - Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!! [04:00] │
│ 13 - Ijime, Dame, Zettai [06:04] │
│ 14 - Road of Resistance [05:18] │
│ 15 - Gimme Chocolate!! (Live) [05:05] │
│ │
│ Total Length : [65:35 minn │
│ │
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│ │
│ │
│ │
│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│■ ■│
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