METAL FORTH by BABYMETAL

BABYMETAL METAL FORTH

74
ChoruScore
7 reviews
Aug 8, 2025
Release Date
Capitol Records
Label

BABYMETAL's METAL FORTH arrives as a maximal, high-energy statement that trades in spectacle and collaboration, and across seven professional reviews the record earns a 74.14/100 consensus score. Critics consistently point to guest-powered highlights such as “Kon! Kon! (feat. Bloodywood)”, “from me to u (feat. Poppy)” and “My Queen (feat. Spiritbox)” as the album's most immediate and memorable moments, while tracks like “KxAxWxAxIxI” and “METALI!! (feat. Tom Morello)” are frequently cited for their technical bite and theatrical payoff. Reviewers praise the pop hooks vs metal juxtapositions, the joyful exuberance and the record's short, punchy runtime that keeps the momentum taut.

The critical consensus frames METAL FORTH as adventurous and occasionally uneven. Several critics celebrate the album's genre-hopping collaborations and cultural soundclash for refreshing BABYMETAL's identity, noting that guest appearances often sharpen rather than dilute the trio's strengths. At the same time, a recurring critique appears: pre-released singles and an overreliance on features sometimes create the sense of a guests-first record, leaving some standalone Babymetal tracks singled out as the moments of true substance. Across professional reviews reviewers highlight experimentation, risk-taking and high-gloss production as central to the record's appeal.

In sum, the consensus suggests METAL FORTH is worth attention for fans seeking maximal thrills and bold collaborations, with clear standout tracks to guide searches for the best songs on METAL FORTH; those wanting a pure band statement may find the balance between theatrical excess and musical depth more mixed. Further reading below expands on which tracks critics name as the catalogue's definitive highlights and why the album sits where it does in BABYMETAL's evolving trajectory.

Critics' Top Tracks

The standout songs that made critics take notice

1

Kon! Kon! (feat. Bloodywood)

7 mentions

"where their current tourmates, New Delhi’s Bloodywood, define the song’s structure"
Paste Magazine
2

My Queen (feat. Spiritbox)

4 mentions

"a blistering fusillade of drop D palm-muted distortion"
Paste Magazine
3

METALI!! (feat. Tom Morello)

6 mentions

"they’re joined by Bloodywood, Slaughter to Prevail, Tom Morello, Electric Callboy, Poppy, Polyphia, and Spiritbox"
Paste Magazine
where their current tourmates, New Delhi’s Bloodywood, define the song’s structure
P
Paste Magazine
about "Kon! Kon! (feat. Bloodywood)"
Read full review
7 mentions
88% sentiment

Track Ratings

How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.

View:
1

from me to u (feat. Poppy)

7 mentions
80
03:24
2

RATATATA

6 mentions
25
03:37
3

Song 3

5 mentions
32
03:34
4

Kon! Kon! (feat. Bloodywood)

7 mentions
100
03:55
5

KxAxWxAxIxI

5 mentions
65
02:35
6

Sunset Kiss (feat. Polyphia)

4 mentions
62
03:33
7

My Queen (feat. Spiritbox)

4 mentions
100
03:20
8

Algorism

4 mentions
45
03:37
9

METALI!! (feat. Tom Morello)

6 mentions
73
03:28
10

White Flame ー白炎ー

4 mentions
30
04:25

What Critics Are Saying

Deep insights from 8 critics who reviewed this album

Critic's Take

BABYMETAL's METAL FORTH is loud, silly and irresistible in equal measure, a record that rides big pop choruses and maximalist production to great effect. JR Moores revels in how tracks like “from me to u (feat. Poppy)” and “My Queen (feat. Spiritbox)” both jolt and reward, praising the catchiness of the choruses and the constant rush of ideas. The review keeps a wry distance - the album is presented as a welcome workout rather than a serious saviour - but the enthusiasm for the best tracks is plain: they stick, they headbang, they move you. The piece answers the question of the best songs on METAL FORTH by pointing to the guest-powered high points that pair pop hooks with genuine metallic bite.

Key Points

  • The best song(s) pair guest stars with huge pop choruses that stick and trigger headbanging.
  • The album's core strengths are maximalist production, nonstop energy, and irresistible pop-metal hooks.

Themes

kawaii metal fusion high-energy production guest collaborations pop hooks vs metal short runtime

Critic's Take

In his exuberant, explanatory tone Andy Crump argues that BABYMETAL on METAL FORTH makes a persuasive case for the best tracks being communal affairs, singling out “from me to u” and “My Queen” as particularly telling. He frames the album as gleefully collaborative, where guests like Poppy and Spiritbox don’t overshadow but uplift, so searches for the best songs on METAL FORTH should start with those duets. The reviewer’s voice remains celebratory and descriptive, insisting the record proves metal’s malleability while calling these standout tracks joyful and muscular in equal measure. Overall, Crump’s emphasis on partnership and versatility positions those songs as the top tracks and best songs on METAL FORTH for listeners seeking the album’s highlights.

Key Points

  • The best song is collaborative in spirit, with “My Queen” crowned for its blistering musicianship and celestial harmonies.
  • The album’s core strength is its joyful, genre-flexing collaboration that demonstrates metal’s versatility and accessibility.

Themes

collaboration genre versatility joyful exuberance cultural hybridization

Critic's Take

This reviewist dives straight into why BABYMETAL's METAL FORTH thrives on spectacle, naming “from me to u” and “Kon! Kon!” as peak moments of the record. The opener “from me to u” grabs the listener by the throat with double-kick drums and pinched harmonics, while “Kon! Kon!” pushes the album to gloriously unhinged heights with Bollywood-meets-breakdown glee. Tom Morello's presence on “METAL!!!” and the summery swirl of “Sunset Kiss” keep the momentum, so searches for the best songs on METAL FORTH will often point to these raucous highlights. Overall, the album's maximalist, high-gloss chaos makes its best tracks irresistible to both metal purists and pop-leaning listeners alike.

Key Points

  • The best song, “from me to u”, stands out for its brutal opening attack and anthemic hooks.
  • The album's core strengths are maximalist spectacle, global collaborations, and relentless, theatrical energy.

Themes

maximalism genre-hopping collaborations theatricality escapism

Critic's Take

BABYMETAL have fashioned METAL FORTH into a kaleidoscopic exploration of modern metal, where guests sharpen rather than dilute the band's identity. The review finds best tracks like “Kon! Kon!” and “KxAxWxAxIxI” exemplary - “Kon! Kon!” for Bloodywood's nail, and “KxAxWxAxIxI” for its tantalising hip hop melody paired with face-melting energy. Isabella's tone is admiring and precise, noting how collaborations from Tom Morello to Spiritbox sit naturally alongside solo scorers like “Algorism”, making these the best songs on METAL FORTH. The record reads as instinctual exploration, which is precisely what makes its best tracks land so memorably.

Key Points

  • The best song is prized for a nailed collaboration that showcases successful genre melding.
  • The album's strength is its ability to unify disparate metal styles through confident performances and well-placed guests.

Themes

genre fusion collaboration technical metal experimentation
80

Critic's Take

BABYMETAL have always trafficked in whimsical excess and audacious fusion, and on METAL FORTH that impulse is most rewarding on the collaborations. You can point to “from me to u (feat. Poppy)” and “My Queen (feat. Spiritbox)” as the best songs here, tidy, reciprocal pairings that feel inspired rather than appended. The record’s bravest moment, though, is “Kon! Kon! (feat. Bloodywood)”, a bruising cultural soundclash that sells the concept with sheer persuasiveness. Overall the guest-heavy approach mostly works, proving the band’s singularity remains intact even when shared.

Key Points

  • The best song is "Kon! Kon! (feat. Bloodywood)" for its powerful, persuasive cultural soundclash.
  • The album's core strength is judicious, reciprocal collaborations that feel inspired and enhance BABYMETAL's singularity.

Themes

collaboration genre fusion cultural soundclash continuity of career
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Sputnikmusic

Unknown
Aug 6, 2025
64

Critic's Take

BABYMETAL's METAL FORTH feels like an album of guests rather than a band statement, and the best songs - “KxAxWxAxIxI”, “Algorism” and “White Flame” - prove why. The reviewer's tone is wry and disappointed, praising those three solo tracks for their ambition while noting collaborations like “from me to u (feat. Poppy)” and “Song 3” dilute the core sound. There is a clear throughline: the solo tracks recapture Babymetal's energy, whereas too many features render the band a supporting act.

Key Points

  • “KxAxWxAxIxI” is best because it blends dark hip-hop, electronic elements, and metal while recalling classic hooks.
  • The album’s core strength is the three solo Babymetal tracks which showcase the band’s true identity and ambition.

Themes

collaborations vs identity loss of band identity standalone Babymetal tracks are stronger staleness from pre-released singles

Critic's Take

In a career-spanning mood of audacious reinvention, BABYMETAL's METAL FORTH often shines brightest when alliances click - notably on “METALI!!” and “Kon! Kon!” where Tom Morello and Bloodywood sharpen the trio's sound with thrilling results. Liberty Dunworth notes the record pushes boundaries with collaborations that sometimes overwhelm, singling out failures like “From Me To U” and “RATATATA” even as experimental moments such as “Song 3” and “Sunset Kiss” reach new heights. The reviewer's voice admires the band's refusal to play it safe, arguing the best tracks on METAL FORTH are those that blend BABYMETAL's playfulness with substantive heaviness rather than leaning on metal tropes.

Key Points

  • The best song is strongest when collaboration complements BABYMETAL's core sound, as on "METALI!!" with Tom Morello.
  • The album's core strength is bold experimentation and a willingness to push metal boundaries through diverse guest spots.

Themes

collaboration experimentation heaviness vs. substance risk-taking