I've heard power metal and it's nothing like this. The metal aspect of their sound is heavier than most power metal, and the pop element is totally bubble-gum level. Beyond total opposites. Yet, it works for me, not to the point that I'd buy music like this, but to the point that I do get some level of musical enjoyment. I actually hope this catches on, though I doubt it will.Originally Posted by mnprogger
I actually really like that...as to how 'live' the performance, that's obviously questionable...some of the vocals sound sampled, the drums possibly programmed and the choreography a little too slick and well filmed. It's more like the album track laid over a specially filmed video.
That said...I think its great fun.
I downloaded a few other track of theirs...not sure I could listen to them too often...bit too saccharine and the novelty wears off after a while.
Definitely not a live recording. There are a couple clips of them live though. Looks like the girls have a lot of fun doing this.
I saw Babymetal live in London last Monday. The venue was sold out...it was rammed in there, trust me...and bloody warm too.
Could only get balcony tickets...sound from upstairs was dreadful...vocals were non existent. That may have been intentional, given the amount of backing tracks used.
I was told sound and atmosphere was better downstairs, but it looked pretty darn crazy down there...was also surprised by the amount of middle aged and older people there, no doubt tempted by the metal aspect of the show. Could also have been the cutesey element as well I guess...
The band themselves are excellent, and they do get a few moments in the spotlight. The problem for me was the girls seemed to be dwarfed on the stage by the over active lighting, and often their dance routines looked shambolic. In truth they should have been the focal point of what was happening...but quite often they were offstage while the band played.
The whole gig was barely 70 minutes, and it was light when we left the venue. Ok they only have one album I guess...but it still felt padded and unsubstantial.
The impression I came away with is that they are ok for a 3 minute youtube video, but the manufactured nature of their sound does not make them a viable live act.
This is Maximum the Hormone.
Duncan's going to make a Horns Emoticon!!!
Apparently, the video you linked to has been removed from the site, but it's kinda scary that I actually knew you were talking about Pink Lady without even knowing what the video was. Yeah, they spoke next to no English, and had to learn all their dialog on the variety show phonetically. That meant there couldn't be any improv during any of the skits. Also, the American producers insisted they develop separate "personalities", whereas in Japan, they were known for being virtually identical, dancing and speaking in unison, the whole gag apparently being that nobody could tell which was which or whatever. And I don't think they dug singing in English either (though I'll take their version of Stop! In The Name Of Love over Phil Collins' attempt at You Can't Hurry Love).
Pink Lady And Jeff is widely credited with killing the variety show format in the US. It's also suggested it kinda killed Jeff Altman's mainstream TV career. He continued to do stand up, make guest appearances on sitcoms (he's on one of my favorite Night Court episodes), direct, appear on talk shows (he was just on Letterman a couple months ago), but that was pretty much the only stab he was given at starring on a TV show.
And you can thank Sid & Marty Krofft for all of it. And yes, HR Puff N Stuff was a better show, simply because it was more psychedelic.
Sounds like a bunch of pedo types maybe, I certainly hope not though. I consider this group a novelty, but admit that their sound somehow is appealing to me. Not enough though to pay to see them live, or even buy a CD. But I like the fact that they packed the place.
I've only heard that one song, Gimme Chocolate, and I am terrified of getting into Babymetal in case there's no going back.
I think this stuff is absolutely wonderful. I like J-pop, I like metal and I like massive stage shows so it's a no brainer.
It reminds me that I saw Marilyn Manson at a festival a few years ago. I like that guy, I like what he has to say, I like his full on show it looks amazing but....no tunes. I was totally ready to jump in if only he had anything resembling a tune.
Babymetal on the other hand, based on that song, have got it going on.
I don't care if it's novelty or if it's manufactured. Process is nothing, I'm only interested in the end result. A great band is a great band is a great band.
I'm going in....wish me luck.
Oh great...you probably just insulted at least half of the PE community, if not the prog community in general with that 'pedo' comment.
That's just not the sort of thing you make offhand, flippant comments about.
Dear lord...please tell me you never have and never will serve on a jury.
Obviously that all you get out of it, but my comment was 100% devoid of any sexual pleasure watching the video.
Concur. Maximum the Hormone are an awesome band that easily bounce between J-Pop, Grind, Death, Nu-Metal and more. Neat stuff.
Duncan's going to make a Horns Emoticon!!!
I could only take about 45 seconds of that.
I don't get the appeal of this at all. I watched about 30 seconds of it. I have this metalhead friend who's like 48 years old and he's always raving about "Baby Metal." Really dude? What am I missing?
There was a discussion of a band I know doing a cover of this, and I pitched that it would be amusing to replace the girls with three bearded guys doing the Japanese vocals in death metal growl style. I searched and couldn't find such a cover, but I found these and they reduced me to tears of laughter:
And this is pretty spectacular:
You don't miss a bloody thing. It's pure GARBAGE, if you ever felt the power of true metal.
Something to wash your ears by the way. My dedication to these BabyMetal bands...
Don't break the circle
Last edited by spacefreak; 03-04-2016 at 07:34 AM.
This is great, and reveals the charm of the song.
The other parodies don't really work for me, as the original song/band is already a tongue-in-cheek parody on the absurdity of j-pop metal. It's not meant to be serious, so why would you do a parody?
Okay, I'm not the only one. One man's pleasure is another man's poison, I suppose. That Baby Metal song sounded like appalling drek to these ears.
Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world.
Babymetal will be huge.
I've seen them twice; their first UK performance at Sonisphere in the summer of 2014 and then at Brixton Academy in November the same year and they were brilliant. The lead singer, Su-metal, has a remarkable voice considering her age and their backing band, the Kami Band, can seriously play. They are considered the best session musicians in Japan.
Their largest market outside of Asia is the UK and it is no accident they are starting their 2016 tour in London, playing Wembley Arena, a gig that I have read is now pretty much sold out, and they are finishing their tour at the 55,000 capacity Tokyo Dome.
Of course it isn't to everyone's taste, but live they are one of the most bonkers shows you could ever see. Babymetal Live At Budokan DVD/Blu-ray is much more representative of their full live show rather than the video of Gimme Chocolate!!!
I'm going to Wembley and I think it will be one of the gigs of the year.
Last edited by glawster2002; 03-10-2016 at 08:58 AM.
The latest Classic Rock, sister magazine to Prog, gives the new Babymetal album, Metal Resistance 10/10 which was a big surprise to say the least.
I have no time for any of this.
Glad to see Thomas weighing in on this, but I can't get behind it!
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