BABYMETAL release new HEADBANGER!! music video for the re-recorded version of the song in honor of their 15th anniversary!!! the new version includes current vocals by all three members and features MOMOMETAL performing all growling parts!!!
limited CD copies of the single will be available at Saitama Super Arena & the Tokyo Pop-Up Shop preceding their shows on the 10th/11th!!
includes the poster and stickers which were exclusive to the now sold-out edition!!
buy your own copy here!
incredible photography by jeremy saffer - visit his website here and follow his instagram here!
my magazine did arrive bent in the mail which is unfortunately incredibly visible in the scans of the solo shots :( but the photographs are wonderful & it still scanned okay!!! this was my first time scanning anything for "archive" (using that term loosely) but i think it came out alright !
*please note that i transcribed this interview by hand from the blurred sections visible in the above images, so the transcription may not be exact!
image 3:
Undeniably one of Japan's biggest exports, BABYMETAL made a name for themselves when the band exploded onto the scene with its self-titled 2014 debut. Blending heavy metal with Japanese idol aesthetics, the all-girl band began in 2010 and have since developed into one of the most unique acts in modern rock and metal. Having cultivated an international following and continuially building upon their success, the band then secured much coveted slots(spots?) opening for huge artists, such as Lady Gaga and Korn.
Fusing metal riffs with J-pop choreography and an epic theatrical live show, BABYMETAL has wowed audiences all around the globe — including a recent sold out show at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, CA — with the release of full length album Metal Forth. Technically, it's BABYMETAL's fifth album, but 2023's The Other One is viewed by the group as a concept album and separate from their (?) catalog, who instead view Metal Forth as the band's fourth studio album. Literally meaning "beyond metal," Metal Forth features collaborations with Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Poppy, Bloodywood, Electric Callboy, Polyphia, Slaughter to Prevail, and Spiritbox, further cementing BABYMETAL as a name to be respected in the metal community and music industry, and a band everyone wants to work with.
"Every collaboration has its own unique origin story," vocalist SU-METAL elaborates. "Some artists we met on tour and immediately clicked, like, "Hey, let's collaborate!" Others, like Polyphia and Jordan Fish (keyboardist and producer of Bring Me the Horizon from 2012 to 2023), we have previously collaborated with, and we mutually thought, "We should do this again." And then there were some songs(?) where, mid-production, we realized, "We need this person's(?) signature sound," and reached out, leading to new partnerships. Each one came together differently."
image 4:
Describing it as a "fun process," SU-METAL adds that what she loves the most about collaborating with other artists is "discovering fresh dimensions of BABYMETAL through others' eyes and having them unlock qualities in us we haven't fully explored. Watching our potential expand like that was thrilling! Plus, observing various creative methodologies, what each collaborator prioritizes during production, how the same track resonates differently with different artists—all of that made me appreciate the richness of working with diverse creators."
One of the singer's favorite experiences amongst the many collabs was the track they worked on with Tom Morello. Titled "METALI!!," SU-METAL says it was "one of the most interesting experiences" of the album due to the diverse sonic(?) nature of the track itself. "The first half of the song is filled with Shamisen sound and Japanese festival chants, such as Wasshoi and Dokkoisho. You will enjoy Japanese festival vibes, and the moment after Tom's guitar parts are added, this song's tune changes, adding spice into the song. What's fascinating is that the tune of the song doesn't actually change, its more like the excitement of a festival reaching its final day, with fireworks going off everywhere in chaos, but somehow it all comes together beautifully because the guitar sits right at the center of it. It's a song where a really unique chemical reaction happens."
Despite the album being rich with collaborations, there's still plenty of other acts the band would love to work with in the future—the names being numerous and the band hinting that discussions are already taking place. "There are many" on the list, says MOAMETAL. "There are some(?) musicians that we started discussions to collaborate with, and we are also interested in collaborating with Japanese artists as well. Personally, I dream about collaborating with Metallica. Is it crazy if we could make songs with them? That is all metal bands' dream, right? I want to make that dream come true."
BABYMETAL has produced a number of music videos for the songs on Metal Forth, all of which showcase their instantly recognizable and perfectly timed synchronized dance movies to the backdrop of polished, highly produced visual content(?). "from me to u," which features Poppy, shows the band dancing in a slightly eerie, futuristic nighttime city that transforms into a devilish post-apocalyptic hellscape. "Song 3," featuring Slaughter to Prevail, features a loose storyline set part in a school, part in an office, with plenty of appearances from Slaughter to Prevail's signature masks, and more slick dancing from BABYMETAL.
In the video for "RATATATA," it was Electric Callboy's turn for a collaboration, and as SU-METAL explains, the band actually got involved in some dance moves for it. "The Electric Callboy members loved the choreography and wanted to dance with us, so during filming we taught them the moves and performed it together," she says, before going on to explain how that particular video was fraught with last minute changes of plans, as everything went right down to the wire. "We suddenly had to shoot the music video in Germany, and since we were in the middle of the US tour, we had to create the choreography on the fly, gathering in dressing rooms and hotel rooms after shows to work on it together. At the same time, the song itself wasn't finalized until the last minute, with slightly different demo versions arriving daily. Each time, we'd adjust the choreography accordingly and send videos to our dance instructor in Japan for feedback. Those few days were incredibly hectic, but so much fun!"
Having produced music videos for nearly all of the 10 tracks on Metal Forth, it's clear BABYMETAL is committed to building up the babd's visual world just as much as their sonic one, crafting unique content for their ever growing and committed fan base. Continuing to consistently break new ground, 2025 saw another milestone smashed by the group, with Metal Forth breaking onto the Billboard Top 10. BABYMETAL is the first ever Japanese group to achieve such an accolade, to which scream-singer MOMOMETAL left her "completely astonished. Though honestly, when this album came together, every song felt special [interview cuts here]
*please note that i transcribed this interview by hand from the blurred sections visible in the above images, so the transcription may not be exact!
image 3:
Undeniably one of Japan's biggest exports, BABYMETAL made a name for themselves when the band exploded onto the scene with its self-titled 2014 debut. Blending heavy metal with Japanese idol aesthetics, the all-girl band began in 2010 and have since developed into one of the most unique acts in modern rock and metal. Having cultivated an international following and continuially building upon their success, the band then secured much coveted slots(spots?) opening for huge artists, such as Lady Gaga and Korn.
Fusing metal riffs with J-pop choreography and an epic theatrical live show, BABYMETAL has wowed audiences all around the globe — including a recent sold out show at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, CA — with the release of full length album Metal Forth. Technically, it's BABYMETAL's fifth album, but 2023's The Other One is viewed by the group as a concept album and separate from their (?) catalog, who instead view Metal Forth as the band's fourth studio album. Literally meaning "beyond metal," Metal Forth features collaborations with Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Poppy, Bloodywood, Electric Callboy, Polyphia, Slaughter to Prevail, and Spiritbox, further cementing BABYMETAL as a name to be respected in the metal community and music industry, and a band everyone wants to work with.
"Every collaboration has its own unique origin story," vocalist SU-METAL elaborates. "Some artists we met on tour and immediately clicked, like, "Hey, let's collaborate!" Others, like Polyphia and Jordan Fish (keyboardist and producer of Bring Me the Horizon from 2012 to 2023), we have previously collaborated with, and we mutually thought, "We should do this again." And then there were some songs(?) where, mid-production, we realized, "We need this person's(?) signature sound," and reached out, leading to new partnerships. Each one came together differently."
image 4:
Describing it as a "fun process," SU-METAL adds that what she loves the most about collaborating with other artists is "discovering fresh dimensions of BABYMETAL through others' eyes and having them unlock qualities in us we haven't fully explored. Watching our potential expand like that was thrilling! Plus, observing various creative methodologies, what each collaborator prioritizes during production, how the same track resonates differently with different artists—all of that made me appreciate the richness of working with diverse creators."
One of the singer's favorite experiences amongst the many collabs was the track they worked on with Tom Morello. Titled "METALI!!," SU-METAL says it was "one of the most interesting experiences" of the album due to the diverse sonic(?) nature of the track itself. "The first half of the song is filled with Shamisen sound and Japanese festival chants, such as Wasshoi and Dokkoisho. You will enjoy Japanese festival vibes, and the moment after Tom's guitar parts are added, this song's tune changes, adding spice into the song. What's fascinating is that the tune of the song doesn't actually change, its more like the excitement of a festival reaching its final day, with fireworks going off everywhere in chaos, but somehow it all comes together beautifully because the guitar sits right at the center of it. It's a song where a really unique chemical reaction happens."
Despite the album being rich with collaborations, there's still plenty of other acts the band would love to work with in the future—the names being numerous and the band hinting that discussions are already taking place. "There are many" on the list, says MOAMETAL. "There are some(?) musicians that we started discussions to collaborate with, and we are also interested in collaborating with Japanese artists as well. Personally, I dream about collaborating with Metallica. Is it crazy if we could make songs with them? That is all metal bands' dream, right? I want to make that dream come true."
BABYMETAL has produced a number of music videos for the songs on Metal Forth, all of which showcase their instantly recognizable and perfectly timed synchronized dance movies to the backdrop of polished, highly produced visual content(?). "from me to u," which features Poppy, shows the band dancing in a slightly eerie, futuristic nighttime city that transforms into a devilish post-apocalyptic hellscape. "Song 3," featuring Slaughter to Prevail, features a loose storyline set part in a school, part in an office, with plenty of appearances from Slaughter to Prevail's signature masks, and more slick dancing from BABYMETAL.
In the video for "RATATATA," it was Electric Callboy's turn for a collaboration, and as SU-METAL explains, the band actually got involved in some dance moves for it. "The Electric Callboy members loved the choreography and wanted to dance with us, so during filming we taught them the moves and performed it together," she says, before going on to explain how that particular video was fraught with last minute changes of plans, as everything went right down to the wire. "We suddenly had to shoot the music video in Germany, and since we were in the middle of the US tour, we had to create the choreography on the fly, gathering in dressing rooms and hotel rooms after shows to work on it together. At the same time, the song itself wasn't finalized until the last minute, with slightly different demo versions arriving daily. Each time, we'd adjust the choreography accordingly and send videos to our dance instructor in Japan for feedback. Those few days were incredibly hectic, but so much fun!"
Having produced music videos for nearly all of the 10 tracks on Metal Forth, it's clear BABYMETAL is committed to building up the babd's visual world just as much as their sonic one, crafting unique content for their ever growing and committed fan base. Continuing to consistently break new ground, 2025 saw another milestone smashed by the group, with Metal Forth breaking onto the Billboard Top 10. BABYMETAL is the first ever Japanese group to achieve such an accolade, to which scream-singer MOMOMETAL left her "completely astonished. Though honestly, when this album came together, every song felt special [interview cuts here]
let it be know that moa and su are in some serious heels whereas momo is in regular boots (plus theres camera angle trickery) just to make 1) momoa appear the same height and 2) su appear taller than both of them. and moa still looks shortest
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