BABYMETAL’s “METAL FORTH” is Great… But It’s Not Really BABYMETAL

“…feels like they handed out homework assignments to other bands and occasionally popped in to help with the group project…”

BABYMETAL’s fifth album, METAL FORTH, has arrived—10 tracks, 36 minutes, and enough collaborations to make you think Su-metal accidentally wandered into a Wacken afterparty and just started recording whatever was happening on stage.

Seven of those tracks are either collaborations or joint singles with other bands, and each one leans heavily into the collaborator’s sound. These big-name guests did not come to politely blend—they came to own. That’s not a bad thing…

… but it does make this feel more like a star-studded compilation than a core BABYMETAL release.

And when I say “heavily,” I mean some of these songs barely feel like BABYMETAL even showed up to the studio. “from me to u” is basically a lost Poppy B-side with BABYMETAL doing backing vocals. “RATATATA” is Electric Callboy through and through, with a hint of BABYMETAL thrown in for the joint single. “Song 3”? That one is admittedly more BABYMETAL but also feels out of place with Slaughter To Prevail’s contributions. “Kon! Kon!” It’s technically a BABYMETAL song, but feels like Bloodywood crashed the party, hooked the aux cable to their own playlist, and the girls just went along with it.

That would be fine overall, as the songs are really good. But the standalone tracks are… fine. Mostly forgettable, if we’re honest, which makes the reliance on others so bleh for me. “KxAxWxAxIxI” and “Algorism” barely leave a dent, like going to a 5-star restaurant and the chef forgot to season their world class burger. Even some of the high-profile collabs land in the “meh” pile—Polyphia’s “Sunset Kiss” is pleasant background noise, Spiritbox’s “My Queen” never quite finds its teeth.

There are bright spots—“White Flame,” the closing track is pretty solid. It’s got atmosphere, mood, and the kind of vibe that makes you stare at the ceiling for a bit. But even then, it feels like it drifts past without making much of an impression. It just wasn’t strong enough to close on a massive high note (either that or I was exhausted during my listening session and wanted to go back to listening to Sabaton or something).

On their own, each track is perfectly enjoyable. Some of them are awesome! As much as I’ve been talking shit, some of these collaborations would fit into their respective catalogues and they’d fit great. Hell, we know they fit great with “RATATATA” and “Song 3”!

But strung together as an “album,” METAL FORTH doesn’t feel like BABYMETAL’s fifth era—it feels like they handed out homework assignments to other bands and occasionally popped in to help with the group project. BABYMETAL experimenting is fine—in fact, it’s what’s kept them fresh for over a decade—but this time they’ve outsourced so much of the record that they’re almost guests on their own release.

Is it worth hearing? Absolutely. Is it BABYMETAL’s next big chapter? I’m not convinced. Call it a fantastic collaborative playlist, but if we’re talking about a true fifth BABYMETAL album, this ain’t it.