From Babymetal to Dir En Grey and beyond

Babymetal reign of world domination continues to sweep the globe, with their menacing blend of hard rock, pop, idol fantasy and mindmelting stage theatrics brainwashing nation after nation. This weekend sees the Hyper Japan festival take to the O2 in London, so we figured now is a great chance to celebrate the coolest and best of those Japanese metal bands that you so desparately need in your life.

Unknown to most, Japanese acts have a huge history with the metal genre and often inspire bands across the pond. 2014 however, looks like it might just be the most prominent time in Japanese metal history. Producing a whole load of new metal bands, it's the perfect time for them to cross the shores announcing themselves to the rest of the metal world.

Here's 11 of the most insane, bat-shit mental Japanese metal bands you need to check out