Much like an Adam Sandler movie stacked with A-list celebrities, where it’s almost impossible to flop regardless of the Rotten Tomatoes score, BABYMETAL’s fourth LP, appropriately titled METAL FORTH, arrives with a lineup so loaded it’s hard to ignore. The Japanese kawaii metal group has pulled in Poppy, Electric Callboy, Slaughter to Prevail, Bloodywood, Polyphia, Spiritbox, and even Tom Morello. But unlike Grown Ups 2, this one actually delivers.
Guest features aren’t new territory for BABYMETAL, especially in recent years, but METAL FORTH is especially packed. Instead of overshadowing the group, these collaborations push them into fresh territory, giving the record an almost mixtape-like flow. The result is faster, heavier, and arguably their most commercially approachable album to date.
It’s also a milestone release, their first on Capitol Records and the first to feature new member Momoko Okazaki. In many ways, it marks a new chapter. The original concept, combining heavy metal with Japanese idol culture, still lingers, but on METAL FORTH, it feels more integrated into the styles of their collaborators. The idol-pop side still pops up, especially in choruses like “RATATATA”, which is bubblegum catchy until Electric Callboy cuts in with guttural screams. The idol influence is most visible in their intricately choreographed videos, but here it feels better balanced and more authentic than in some past works.
The album cover tells you exactly what you’re getting: bright, shiny, and collaborative. The central BABYMETAL “diamond” remains front and center, but it’s surrounded by equally brilliant cuts — guest contributions that feel intentional rather than phoned in. Take "song 3", featuring Slaughter to Prevail: they provide a punishing foundation, and BABYMETAL builds on it with one of their heaviest, breakbeat-paced songs to date in a seamless blend of styles.
“from me to u", featuring Poppy, feels like a gift to longtime fans who embraced their 2020 collab “Kingslayer” with Bring Me The Horizon. Co-written and produced by BMTH’s Jordan Fish, it carries that same high-energy punch. “My Queen,” featuring Spiritbox, channels late-’90s nu-metal chug with flashy guitar effects, while Courtney LaPlante’s vocals absolutely soar.
At just 35 minutes across ten tracks, METAL FORTH is quick, sharp, and heavy-hitting...more Happy Gilmore than Jack and Jill. While it might not hit as hard as Ozzy Osbourne’s legendary cameo in Little Nicky (biting off a bat’s head and all), Sandler knew how to deliver back then — and BABYMETAL clearly understands the assignment now with METAL FORTH.
