METAL GALAXY

METAL GALAXY uses the enormous metaphor of a metal universe to chart BABYMETAL’s route after YUIMETAL’s departure. The Japanese edition divides light and darkness across two discs, but the fourteen-track international sequence still communicates the central idea through constant movement: dance pop, Indian melody, Scandinavian folk color, Latin rhythm, hip-hop and progressive musicianship appear as different planets within one journey. With SU-METAL and MOAMETAL at the center and the Avengers supporting live performances, the record belongs to a transitional era. Instead of trying to disguise absence, BABYMETAL moves forward by expanding the scale of its world. “DA DA DANCE” connects Tak Matsumoto’s guitar with 1990s dance energy, while “Shanti Shanti Shanti” translates Indian melodic shapes into precise choreography. Joakim Brodén appears on “Oh! MAJINAI,” Polyphia colors “Brand New Day,” and F.HERO helps turn “PA PA YA!!” into an international festival chant. The later run—“Distortion,” “Kagerou,” “Starlight,” “Shine” and “Arkadia”—forms a heavier sequence about loss, determination and rebirth, balancing the brightness of the opening half. The album can feel deliberately excessive, but that abundance is its subject. At a moment of uncertainty, BABYMETAL refused to reduce its options and instead built a larger galaxy in which many styles, guests and emotional states could coexist.