On their unruly 2014 debut, the Japanese pop-metal outfit Babymetal pinballed from blastbeat belligerence to chiptune clap-alongs, adding a trap interlude for extra cultural currency. Two years later, they fortified the follow-up, Metal Resistance, with power ballads and alt-rock anthems. Their indiscriminate approach to approachability worked: Babymetal count Robs Zombie and Halford as fans, and their brutally cute ode to chocolate ranks as one of this decade’s essential viral oddities. On the day they released their third record, Metal Galaxy, they headlined The Forum.

Metal Galaxy is a loose concept album about being dispatched to a distant part of the universe. “We are on an odyssey to the Metal Galaxy/Please fasten your neck brace,” they greet us over a Sleigh Bells-sized, guitar-and-sequencer stomp. But then, that thread mostly disappears, and the real conceit emerges: After touring the world, Babymetal recruit a half-dozen international collaborators to widen their musical net even further. There is a guest verse from Thai rapper F.Hero on “Pa Pa Ya!!” and faceless growling from Canadian grunter Alissa White-Gluz on “Distortion,” which sounds like a Hot Topic-commissioned cover of Taylor Swift. Without the help of guests, Babymetal nod to Bollywood and the Miami Sound Machine. It is an exultant, near-absolute mess.

Now a duo after the mysterious departure of Yuimetal last year, Babymetal are still at their best when they hover around their initial idea—harnessing the energy of metal and J-Pop into high-flying hybrids. Metal Galaxy’s closing stretch of songs do just that; the arcing “Kagerou” boasts one of their most undeniable choruses, and you can visualize the epic sweep of stage lights and lighter-wielding throngs on “Shine.” Babymetal have rarely sounded as natural or convincing as they do in these moments.

Otherwise, Metal Galaxy teems with embarrassing gimmickry. At the start of “Night Night Burn!,” keyboards mimic mariachi trumpets and the vocalists duet with cumbia drums, shouting “Hola! Ma, Mamma Mia!” like they’ve just emerged from a Gloria Estefan nightmare. During “Shanti Shanti Shanti,” they intone in Sanskrit over tamboura drones and sitar samples, offering a cringey Bollywood approximation.

At least those songs are listenable. “Oh! MAJINAI,” an abomination with Joakim Brodén, the lead singer from power metal cosplayers Sabaton, suggests the Dropkick Murphys playing mean at Halloween. “Let’s make a wish!” they yell together in pirate patois. OK, then: Here’s hoping this never happens again.

Buy: Rough Trade

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