BABYMETAL SLAYS NYC, DEFIES METAL STEROTYPES

If you love to rock but you’re not familiar with the Japanese act Babymetal, you’re in for a real treat. Despite the many subgenres of metal that currently exist, Babymetal has defied them all. The group manages to seamlessly combine J-pop, electronica, and death metal into an undeniably distinct genre, which has been dubbed “kawaii metal,” or “cute metal.” The group consists of 3 teenage girls, 2 of whom are only 15 years old. We managed to catch the girls during their packed set at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City for a truly unique performance November 4.

One of the more unexpected aspects of the show was the crowd Babymetal managed to draw. Men, women, and children of all ages, races, and backgrounds came together to support the unlikely rise of 3 teen girls on their way to heavy metal stardom. Don’t be fooled by their ages though, these girls know how to pack a punch.

The show began with a Star Wars style introduction that told of the legend of Babymetal, from their creation by the mysterious Fox God to their mission of making the world embrace the glory of heavy metal once again. When the girls took the stage to the symphonic metal track “BABYMETAL DEATH,” the crowd was beyond ecstatic. The band was on stage for almost two straight hours and managed to perform all the tracks off of their self titled debut album, including “Megitsune (*sidenote for VO: pronounced Meg-it-soon-eh),” “Head Bangya!!,” and their viral YouTube hit “Gimme Chocolate!!.”

The girls owned the stage with their flawlessly synchronized dance moves and unwaveringly sunny dispositions. The crowd was in constant motion during the performance, with fans occasionally putting up the hand gesture of a fox, which has become Babymetal’s equivalent of the iconic devil horns.

Before the final encore, the fans were treated to a montage that featured the girls posing with notable metal performers including members of Anthrax, Slayer, Carcass, and Deftones. The montage was a powerful message to the metal purists who have criticized Babymetal for not adhering to the standards of “traditional” heavy metal.

Babymetal gained notable acclaim in the states after a stint as the opening act for Lady Gaga during her “Artrave” tour earlier this year and sold out their first US headlining show at the Fonda Theater in California on July 27^th. The girls previously performed 2 nights at Japans Nippon Budokan arena that had been attended by over 20,000 fans.