BABYMETAL: Difference between revisions

[[BABYMETAL]] is a Japanese metal vocal and dance group formed in 2009, consisting of Suzuka Nakamoto as "Su-metal", Yui Mizuno as "Yuimetal", and Moa Kikuchi as "Moametal", along with a backing group ("The Kami Band") who provide the girls with a solid, skillfully-performed [[Heavy Metal|metal]] foundation while playing in [[Kabuki]] garb or skeleton costumes. The group's core style is a deliberate fusion of that metal foundation and the [[Idol Singer|idol]] genre, heavily leavened with other musical elements ranging from [[Trance]] to [[Synth Pop]] to [[Dubstep]] to [[Reggae]] to [[Japanese Pop Music|J-pop]] at its most manic. The band defines its style as a new genre called "kawaii metal". Former [[Megadeth]] guitarist Marty Friedman has described the band as sounding "like [[Meshuggah]] with J-pop on top." Patrick St. Michel from ''[[MTV]] 81'' describes their style as a mixture of "...seemingly disparate sounds of heavy metal and idol pop, creating music anchored both by throat-mauling screeches and cuddly choruses." The magazine ''[[Metal Hammer]]'' described their act using the formula "Short skirts, school girl charm and squeaky voices -- just like in the manga comics. But they mix the whole thing with Metal.".

Originally a subunit of tweenage girl-group [[Sakura Gakuin]], BABYMETAL was created around Suzuku Nakamoto, but was spun off into a separate band in 2013 when Nakamoto graduated from junior high and had to "graduate" from Sakura Gakuin as well. They released their eponymous debut album in February 2014, although they have been circulating tracks since 2010. Their formal debut as a group was at the August 2012 Summer Sonic, one of Japan's largest rock festivals; with an average age of 12 at the time, BABYMETAL was the youngest act to ever perform there. During their appearance at the 2013 Summer Sonic a year later, members of [[Metallica]] reportedly came to see them perform. In Spring 2014 they gave two concerts at Budokan, making them the youngest female act to ever do so.

In Summer of 2014 they embarked on a world tour, making their debut appearance in the United Kingdom at the Sonisphere Festival 2014. They performed on the main Apollo stage alongside bands such as [[Deftones]], Carcass and [[Iron Maiden]]. They played Heavy Montréal 2014 in Canada on August 9 alongside the likes of [[Metallica]], [[Slayer]], and teenage metal band Unlocking the Truth, and also performed at Summer Sonic 2014 in Japan on the Mountain Stage with bands such as [[Avenged Sevenfold]] and [[Megadeth]]. BABYMETAL was also the opening act to five of [[Lady Gaga]]'s concerts in her "ArtRave: The Artpop Ball" 2014 tour in August along the western United States. Later that year they returned to England and debuted a new song, "Road of Resistance", a collaboration with Sam Totman and Herman Li of the power metal band [[DragonForce]].