Hello everyone! After my last review for Ratt I decided that it was time to take a crack at a more recent band. This is another Japanese band though they have a very unique concept in their sound. This group is fronted by three female teen vocalists that present a teen pop sound. The catcher though is that they combine that sound with speed metal. Yeah that caught me off guard too especially when they start going into screams. This is a pretty interesting group that should provide for a very nice review.

Babymetal Death: This track starts off the album with a epic orchestral sound which does a good job in building suspense. When the guitars and drums come in you automatically see yourself wanting to headbang due to its pure Speed metal sound and orchestral combination. The solos are very heavy and energetic and sound like something that could play with the likes of Slayer or Megadeth. The male growled vocals add in a very nice element to the song and then the main girls come in to make an introduction. They don’t make much of a presence on this track but that doesn’t really matter. This track is a very surprising opener that does a good job in catching the listener off guard and leaves them wanting more. This will be a great live piece and since the girls usually have a dance routine for each song this one would be interesting to see. 10/10

Megitsune: This track starts off with a nice oriental guitar sound that contains a high amount of energy. The girls finally make their presence on this track and have very fast and melodic vocals. The guitar riffs are very catchy and the chorus has a very high level of melody to it. The oldest singer typically acts as the main vocalist while the two younger ones provide a backing role which plays on their teen pop roots. The younger girls do some very aggressive scream vocals that would put most western metal bands to same. This song is certainly a highlight and a personal favorite that plays well in concert. Its high level of energy and unique sound help to assure the listener that the opener wasn’t the only surprise in store for them. Hopefully the rest of the tracks can continue this album’s flow. 10/10

Gimme Chocolate!!: Now this is the song that they are the most known for and it is the first one I heard by them. The speed metal riffs come back and work with the drums to create a nice energy. The headbanging on this one is pretty intense and the girls have a slightly weird but interesting dance routine on this one. The vocal style catches you off guard at first and acts as a call and response between singers. If you read the lyrics then this flow makes sense since it is about a girl cautious about her weight but just wants to eat more and more chocolate. Its funny in a sense so I give them props. The solos will gain your attention and show that the girls have some very talented musicians on guitars and drums. The chorus is pretty melodic and keeps this song from having even a single moment of filler. It is another highlight that will play well in concert and keeps on throwing diversity at me. I normally try not to throw out so many 10’s but this group is really making it hard not to. Especially with the level of uniqueness and energy in each track. 10/10

Line!: This one starts off with a heavy trance sound which is pretty catchy. It is more focused on the pop aspect of the band but retains growled vocals to balance it out. The synths work very well with the vocals in creating a powerful energy and a high level of melody. The chorus is pretty good and keeps things flowing pretty nicely. There is one section that sounds like they are heading in to a rap section but it only lasts for a little bit before it breaks into heavier guitar solos and aggressive scream vocals. After this section the trance elements come back and help to bring this song back to where it started. I’m not going to lie this one continues to impress and is another song meant for fans of multiple genres. The trance element is a big perk on this song that really shows off their experimental sound without going overboard. 9/10

Akatsuki: The intro to this one reminded me of earlier Dir en Grey due to the melodic but soft guitar work. The vocals can hit some high notes without cracking and give way to some fast riffs and piano playing. This one plays preference to a powerful spoken vocal style which keeps things different from the previous tracks without hurting the albums flow or melody. The energy is down a bit but it does help to keep things from becoming monotonous. This one isn’t a favorite but it certainly does its job on the album and features some pretty neat solos on it as well. It’s another balanced pop/metal track that will interest the listener and may even be a decent live piece. 8.5/10

Doki Doki Morning: This is another pop piece or at least that’s what the intro leaves you to believe before heavy guitar riffs come in to wreck havoc. The vocals are more aggressive during this point but not to the level of screaming. It has a nice flow to it and would be interesting if she tried her hand at rapping lol. The chorus is pretty catchy and is the perfect representation of a j-pop fan’s favorite sound. This definitely a song meant towards that fan base though the heavy riffs will keep other listeners entertained enough to stick around for the ride. This song continues to keep the album flowing nicely and has enough diversity to it as to prevent the listener to be able to assume what sound it will take. 8.5/10

Onedari Daisakusen: This one has a nice oriental shout intro and brings back the synths. The bass sounds pretty catchy and the vocals once again try their hand at a different style. They are energetic and vaguely remind me of Limp Bizkit’s Nookie style of vocals. You are free to disagree on that one but I found it to be a nice reference. The strings come back on this track and create a pretty nice melody for the guitars to work in, The guitars take a nu-metal sound which is partly the reason for the Bizkit reference and the vocals gradually get more energetic and faster as the track goes on. This is a very energetic song with a nice level of balance that will make it a great live piece. It will also appeal to western listeners very easily. 9.5/10

4 No Uta: The guitars and drums are very energetic and catchy on this one. It once more reminds me of mid-era Dir en Grey which is always a good comparison in my book. The vocals flow pretty nicely with this song and the chorus is very melodic and catchy. it does a good job in playing at its strengths without becoming repetitive. There are some good screams and a neat section that has a nice ska sound to it. This section is a nice surprise that adds more diversity and balance to the track. This one will play pretty nice live and continues to keep the listener entertained and wondering what their next song will be like. 9/10

Uki Uki Midnight: This one makes a return to their trance infused pop sound and has a bit of a dub step element in it. Damn! the vocals are pretty good on this one and continue with their high melodies and catchy guitar riffs. The dub step element is a heavy focus on this track and once again shows addition experimentation as well as an attempt to appeal to another fanbase. There are more male screams on this one which act as a foil to the main female vocals. This track is possibly a weaker track in comparison however, it would still be a decent live piece. it also does a fair job in keeping the flow going. At this point I am about to reach track ten and have yet to feel any inclination to take a break. 8/10

Catch Me if You Can: This one has a more punk like vibe to it and once features some very aggressive growl vocals. The guitars are more distorted and have a decent energy to them. The vocals are more distorted as well and act mainly to supplement the guitar riffs. The chorus still retains a fair amount of melody to it which stays true to their pop side. The riffs do sound a little cluttered after awhile so this song does have its flaws even though it does experiment with a rough sound well. Overall its a decent piece that would sound nice as an opener to an anime track but isn’t a personal favorite. 8/10

Rondo of Nightmare: This one does sound a bit repetitive in the scheme of things and seems to lose out on its diversity a bit. The vocals do have a nice level of power to them and flow nicely with the keyboards and guitars/drums. The riffs are more reminiscent of western style metal bands which will keep fans of that genre satisfied. The soft interludes on the track do a decent job in balancing out the tempo and provides a nice space for the keys to work in. Overall this is another track that lacks the power of the previous tracks but it does do a decent attempt in balancing out the tempo. 8/10

Head Bangya!!: The opening to this song has a nice classical sound and some catchy vocals before turning to more aggressive riffs and backing chants. The vocals are a lot better on this one than on the previous ones and has some nice melodies to them. The backing girls fit in nicely with this track and the men provide some pretty good screams in the background. The guitars and drums do a good job in creating a high level of energy that will play well in concert. The solos are great and everyone is back on their game. This one will please fans and helps pick up the album’s pace again. 9/10

Ijime, Dame, Zettai: This closing track has some decent lyrics that tackle the issue of bullying which provides a good message for teen fans. The opening piano work provides a nice relaxing atmosphere before the guitars and drums come in to wreck havoc. The echoed vocals have a very powerful effect and the trance sound comes back slightly as well. The solos are well done and help to place this song in a position to be a great closer. All three girls provide vocals on this one and they create a pretty epic sound that shows no weakness at all. This song has a climatic sound that makes it a perfect choice for an album closer. it will do a good job in concert and succeeds in ending the album on a high note. 9/10

Overall album rating: 9/10

Well, this was a pretty entertaining review. The album was just about perfect up to track 10 and then started to show a little bit of weakness but considering that there were only two tracks like this, it is a pretty good job. This album is one of the most diverse one that I have reviewed and succeeds in being as experimental as possible. For being a debut album, this group certainly has a bright future ahead of them and consist of a very skilled team. I’ll definitely be looking forward to hearing their second album when it comes out. hopefully it does just as well but it’ll be a tough task. I will recommend this album because it appeals not only to fans of the different jmusic genres but it appeals to a western audience as well. These are probably one of the few current bands besides Dir en Grey that have potential for a following in the US. Time will only tell but one thing is for sure… This group has made their impact.

*Reviewer’s Pick*