METAL FORTH

Released in August 2025, Metal Forth represents a pivotal moment in Babymetal's career, marking their first full-length release as a permanent trio featuring Momoko Okazaki (Momometal). The album serves as a collaborative manifesto, featuring an unprecedented roster of guest artists including Tom Morello, Polyphia, Spiritbox, and Electric Callboy. This shift toward a more 'feature-heavy' format was seen by critics as an attempt to further bridge the gap between Japanese idol culture and the global metal mainstream. Produced by Kobametal with contributions from Jordan Fish (ex-Bring Me the Horizon), the album leans heavily into modern production techniques, blending industrial textures with the band's signature power metal foundations. It made history by becoming the first album by an all-Japanese act to reach the top ten of the Billboard 200, cementing Babymetal's status as a dominant force in international rock music. Despite some critical debate over the 'dilution' of their core sound due to the many guests, the album was widely praised for its technical ambition and commercial success.