Classical Composer Reacts to BABYMETAL (GIMME CHOCOLATE) | The Daily Doug (Episode 546)

[@omneil]

I’m a 70 year old metalhead. Been a metalhead all my life. I like BABYMETAL, because it puts a smile on my face. And I’m always happier after listening to the young ladies. The band is awesome some of the best musicians.

[@raymo6795]

...I used to listen to a band named "Loudness". They were a Japanese metal act. from the 80s.Do you remember them?..The Japanese are a very technical people, it shows in their musicianship...But, yeah,"Babymetal "is fun...Rock on ,Omneil

[@metalmark1214]

Too bad the girls don't play instruments

[@funnytoss]

@@metalmark1214 Well, if they played instruments, they wouldn't be able to dance, which is one of the things that makes them so fun and unique!

[@metalmark1214]

@@funnytoss I have to hand to the promoter that thought up this concept. Take three girls that sing and never knew metal before, recruit accomplished musicians and voila you have a concept as good as the boy bands. I listen to bands that all the members, except maybe the singer, play instruments and compose the music. But everyone has their own likes and dislikes.

[@funnytoss]

@@metalmark1214 At a certain level, "let's try and do something weird and fun" is easier when there are absolutely no expectations for success! Glad it worked out well for them, but their success was by no means guaranteed. Certainly, their talent agency didn't invest a lot of money or resources into the project at first; that came later after they saw how it was blowing up in popularity.

[@ErzaVixen-wd7xy]

The instrumentals: ☠️⛓️⚰️💣💥💢 The vocals: 🥰🍫🍭💓💖🦊 These girl rocks so hard.

[@ChonkyMIG-15]

Babymetal is a delightfully weird band, saw them live with Sabaton just over a week ago in Stockholm. Don't know much about them, but they were fun to see live.

[@Airlord3670]

Same in Glasgow! I’m a fan of Babymetal anyway, but I was shocked at how much energy they had in those clothes under those lights, very impressive!

[@Valkrss]

Stoked to see them live in the coming months.

[@Dragon-Believer]

Their concert DVDs are God level. I highly recommend them. Or daily motion has Metrock 2015. It's a fabulous concert and only 37 minutes. I've probably watched it 20 times. I think there is also Yokohama 2015 which is longer but equally fabulous but entirely different. Metrock is an outdoor daytime rock festival and Yokohama is an indoor nighttime Babymetal arena show.

[@seangelion]

I'm going to St. Louis!

[@eliasgerlin609]

Well, unfortunately they absolutely butchered the sound in Berlin. Nice stage presence, but the sound mixing made the singing horrible to listen to...

[@benammermann442]

Road of Resistance is an absolute anthem. The band absolutely rips on that one

[@赤ちゃんポッポ]

I suggest you "Rond of nightmare". This is interesting song,perhaps.

[@robxsiq7744]

RoR gets my upvote here. Live in Japan is their iconic video that converted many a people from "its a gimmick" to "wow, this actually is a metal band for sure".

[@Dragon-Believer]

@@robxsiq7744 they aren't a metal band. They are a heavy metal Idol Group. Heavy metal is boring. It's not 1968. They aren't Black Sabbath. Being the very first heavy metal Idol Group is much better. Babymetal is the Black Sabbath of heavy metal Idol Groups.

[@AlonneKnight]

@@赤ちゃんポッポ I hard agree on both "Road of Resistance" and "Rondo of Nightmare" being amazing songs and live performances.

[@jonathanhenderson9422]

@@Dragon-Believer I enjoy Babymetal, but heavy metal is certainly not boring and bands Black Sabbath will be around long after Babymetal is just remembered as the gimmick they are.

[@LouieGrandie]

Here are some fun facts about this song and the group 1. Gimme Chocolate was named one of the most important metal songs of the last 10 years 2. Dragon Force performed this song with BabyMetal 3. The Red Hot Chili Pepper performed this song with them. 4. They are buds with Metallica and Slipknot 5. They had a cameo in Corey Taylor's video 6. They performed the Judas Priest classics Pain Killer and Breaking the Law with Rob Halford of Judas Priest 7. They are the only Asian group to ever hit #1 on Billboards Top Rock chart. 8. BabyMetal and Black Pink are the only albums by girl groups in history to enter the Top 10 of Billboard’s World Albums Year End Chart. 9. In a recent interview Corey Taylor of Slipknot was asked who he listened to at home and he said "BabyMetal" 10. In 2015 Vogue Magazine Japan named them Women of The Year. As for what to watch next: 1. Head Banger - Legend of 1997 - your will have to change your entire concept of audience reaction. Your headphones will fly off your head. 2. Road of Resistance Live in Japan - Generally considered one of the finest recordings of a live performance ever by anyone. 3. Pa Pa Ya feat. F. Hero When Metallica saw them live they said they were astonished by their awesomeness

[@allegorical]

BIllboard made sure that will never happen again with how they've changed their weighting.

[@JCG52577]

You haven’t seen/heard anything yet! Please continue with more BabyMetal reactions. Every song is unique and they cover a wide range of styles.

[@daverboy]

I often describe them, especially a lot of their early stuff, as a sort of metal music sampler pack.

[@redflipper992]

found the pedo

[@Bigdogfindley]

I`m 51 years old and I love this group. I hate that this is the first song that everyone is introduced to. It doesn't show Suzuka's INCREDIBLE vocal abilities. The great part beyond the great mix of J-pop and metal, Is their diversity in that metal. There can be elements of jazz, middle eastern, progressive, dubstep, rap, techno, djent, Western pop and even Nordic music. Their diversity, in my mind, is unmatched. They use studio musicians in-house and have basically (it gets complicated) TWO live bands. A western live band and an eastern live band. I assume because of scheduling issues as their eastern live band is also studio musicians. And their live shows are generally absolutely flawless. These girls and their band(s) have been called "the hardest working band in metal" and obviously for good reason. When I saw them in Nampa Idaho (opening for Korn), it was outdoors, it was 105° F, and they didn`t miss a beat even with all the dancing. They are like highly trained athletes. Suzuka went as far as asking the crowd (in English) if everyone was okay out there...I`ve seen them four times now from the largest venue on the last US tour (LA Forum) to the smallest (Portland Oregon`s Roseland Theater), and they blew me away every time. All in all, the Japanese metal scene is mind-blowing TBH. Looking forward to see you dive into more BABYMETAL though as they are pioneers of this genre.

[@redflipper992]

tell me you're a pedo without actually telling me.

[@mergedsyrups]

Please recommend me your favorite songs of theirs :’)

[@Bigdogfindley]

@@mergedsyrups There are SO many great ones...Karate, Megitsune, Akatsuki, Syncopation, Distortion, Pa Pa Ya, Shanti Shanti Shanti, Mirror Mirror, Metalizm, BxMxC, Monochrome, Road of Resistance, Yava, Brand New Day, Night Night Burn, Starlight, Shine...Some are VERY heavy and some slightly lighter. This song just doesn`t show how diverse their music really is.

[@JustOneWillingSoul]

Thank you for your kind words! Much appreciated! Sincerely, ~Yui-Metal (See you soon) ;)

[@silly_programme5061]

If you want to check out their more recent material, I would recommend Mirror Mirror off the new album. Thankfully, the new stuff seems not to be getting blocked!

[@jamesmcclung153]

That👆

[@Psyggie]

I second this motion

[@normanweaver7935]

That's good to hear. One wonders if they didn't look around and finally recognize the worldwide growth of other Japanese rock and metal artists via the YT reactor route during the pandemic. Several are touring the states and Europe this year. I just wish more would come north. Free touring artist visas in Canada, in case anyone's listening 😉

[@The_Original_Geoff_B]

Try their "One Take" vocal videos, too.

[@MarcioHuser]

I would recomend Monochrome 😁

[@millerbeer01]

The Kami Band are some of the most talented musicians on this planet. RIP Mikio Fujioka.

[@ron3120]

Went to Scotland (Glasgow) from Malta to see them live with Sabaton. After their gig I had no more energy for Sabaton. Of course I managed to recharge once they started :D . However Babymetal are so good and such an experience to see them live. You should see other stuff from them especially the Live Versions. Their backing band are amazing and the girls are phenomenal!

[@garytruex9336]

Rondo Of Nightmare with Mischiefs Of Metal Gods Intro - Su-Metal takes her performance to new heights. With multible time sig.s, it is one of BM's most complex music compositions. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qp6woJaGbp6EobM

[@allegorical]

There's a version of this on the For The Fox God channel that's 4K and has subtitles.

[@emb5091]

Great first reaction! 🤘🦊🤘Thank you for giving BABYMETAL a chance!!! BABYMETAL started back in 2010 and since then have performed with, toured with, or opened for Metallica, Korn, Sabaton, Bring Me The Horizon, Dragonforce, Guns N' Roses, Lady Gaga, Rob Halford of Judas Priest (there's a great youtube video of their performance with Rob at a metal award show), and Red Hot Chili Peppers (there is a youtube video of them performing Gimme Chocolate with RHCP, as well as with Korn, and DragonForce), to name a few of many. They have performed at large metal events/concerts in front of 65,000+ skeptical metalheads in Europe (Glastonbury, Download, Sonisphere, etc), US, and Asia. They are the first Japanese band to perform at Wembley arena in the UK. Also, 20+ awards have been given to them. They have 60+ songs and each one is different from the other, so I hope you give the other songs a try. By the way, they have some really great heavy songs too, and I hope you like guitar solos, as well as bass and drum solos, like I do, because they have them too.🤘🦊🤘

[@Grington300]

Excellent first reaction and analysis - welcome to the BABYMETAL Foxhole.🦊I knew you would be able to see through the shock factor of this song, but it wouldn't have been my recommendation for a first listen as the main reason this video does have so many views is that shock factor with the brutal metal instrumentals and overly sweet JPop vocals clashing - deliberately so in this song. They have about 60 songs now, each one different to the last. They have songs in virtually every metal genre (thrash, nu-metal, djent, black and death metal, Prog, folk etc) and they will mix or blend in so many other musical styles and genres with the metal - not just JPop, you will find Latin, Bollywood, reggae, ska, EDM, trance, Finnish polka ... actually you name it they have probably done it. A couple of songs more in your ball park would be 'Tales of the Destinies' followed by 'The One' (these are both Prog Metal and go together) and I will suggest 'Shine' all live of course - BABYMETAL are a live performance act and the visuals play a huge part in what they do. You asked about the instrumentalists. They are the Kami Band, some of Japan's very best session musicians. They first appeared in October 2012 and were gradually phased in over the next year or more playing at a couple of festivals and the encores in some concerts (including the one in December 2013 where the Gimme Chocolate video was filmed - they were not on stage yet in this one, the guys in skeleton suits - Babybones - were miming the instrumentals to a pre-recorded backing track and they were just there for show, BABYMETAL didn't always have the budget for live musicians. The vocals were live in the live performance of course). There have been many musicians play with the Kami band - they all have their own bands and projects and there are musicians whi will swap in and out depending on their availability. They have had the same hard core of about half a dozen musicians play the vast majority of concerts since they became the full time support for all live shows in March 2014 - they are; Guitarists (2 for each show) - Mikio Fujioka (RIP January 2018), Takayoshi Ohmura, Leda Cygnus and ISAO. Bass - BOH Drums - Hideki Aoyama Since 2019, for the lengthy tours of the US and Europe, the Kami Band of the West (American musicians) have supported BABYMETAL. They are guitarists Chris Kelly and CJ Masciantonio, bassist Clint Tustin and drummer Anthony Barone.

[@haileene703]

@Simr Khera So you are here to paste copy the same answer everywhere ? at least second time I see your useless take. If you are not here for sharing, please pass your way on an other channel. Thanks.

[@TomJorquera]

mucho texto

[@modiglian]

New reactor to Babymetal... where's the @Grinton300 lore comment? ah, here 🙃

[@MacTaipan]

What a great surprise! I didn’t expect you to feature BABYMETAL. I have thought about recommending them many times, but I didn’t expect such a recommendation to get through to you. And I wasn’t sure whether you would like them, either. Actually, I still don’t know, because I couldn’t wait before posting. :-)

[@PlezurBazar]

Okay, as a musician and songwriter myself, I suggest that you peruse BABYMETAL'S "Tales Of The Destinies". As far as current music you should do just about anything from the new Album. Kitsune dao!

[@brianpanther1967]

If in the future, you feature Baby Metal again, check out Karate. It's awesome. I love Baby Metal! Thanks for this reaction! Loved it.

[@Airlord3670]

I actually gave this band a miss for a couple of years because I wasn’t a fan of Gimme Chocolate, but when I heard some of their other stuff it really clicked. Headbanger especially is a great song! I know some out there don’t like them, but if Sabaton, Rob Halford and Rob Zombie are happy then I have nothing to complain about from an ‘old-school’ perspective.

[@emb5091]

Same happened with me after watching Gimme Chocolate back in 2014. But after watching "Akatsuki live at Budokan Black Night" a couple years later, I started becoming a fan. I have been listening to BABYMETAL literally DAILY since 2018.🤘🦊🤘

[@tay13666]

Also same. Gimme Chocolate I found to be a cute oddity but it didn't draw me to check out anything else. Then, a few years later I heard Headbanger, which lead me to Catch Me If You can. Then I saw the live version with the band solos for the intro, and I was hooked. Not a fan of their new stuff, but it was to be expected. No one could keep up that kind of high energy stuff for their whole career. Also doesn't help with the missing members.

[@jamesrawlins735]

The thing about Give Me Chocolate was it is one of their first tracks when they were just starting out. The message of the song is from Su Metal loving chocolate but knowing its bad for you (at one point Moa and Yua "shoot" her with their fat gun). Babymetal started off as part of Sakura Gakuin, which was a large girl group that did the cute school girl thing (In fact, the premise was that they were part of this "middle school", and Babymetal was the "metal" club of the school). If you notice you don't really see the musicians (before Kami, their backing band was Baby Bones) - that's because they are basically playing "air guitar" and pretend playing their instruments. In fact, this song was on a DVD given out at Sakura Gakuin concerts. It was only after the creator noticed that people were really into the group that he decided to have them evolve into an actual metal band and being able to perform live. This song is basically aimed at the young girls (and surprisingly middle aged men) that loved girl groups in Japan.

[@wadewomack5109]

So glad to see you finally found your way to Babymetal, Doug! It usually takes a few listens to get past the WTF(?) factor but you will be happy that you did! Gimme Chocolate is most people's introduction to the band but there are many better examples. They've just released a new album and now have a more mature, polished sound. You should delve into one of those soon. Thanks, Doug 🙂

[@memermetalthemiddleagedaut99]

tales of the destinies is an amazing babymetal track

[@AxeSwipe2011]

Welcome to the wonderful world of "happy metal" that is Babymetal! To see just how varied they get in their music, check out another of their early releases, "Iine!" (pronounced "EE-neh" and often mistitled as "Line!". Iine! Is their manifesto telling the world that they will NOT be pigeon-holed into a single style or genre of music, and they still hold true to that with their 4th studio album. Yuimetal left the group in 2018 due to undisclosed health issues. Su-metal and Moametal continued as a duo, supported by backup dancers who danced in Yui's spot to fill out the choreography until this past April when Momoko Okazaki (a.k.a. Momometal) was officially made the permanent 3rd member. After a few more songs, you will be ready for "Everything you need to know about Babymetal - A Babymetal guide (Updated)" By Cryptic Misery to get all of the answers to your burning questions (at least through their first 10 years). Kitsune Da O! 🤘🦊🤘

[@JVR10893]

You have to listen to Tales of the Destinies. It’s BabyMetal goes prog metal.

[@Psyggie]

Doug I'm so happy about this! I've thoroughly enjoyed all your reactions to my favorite band of all time, Dream Theater. As for Babymetal, I became a fan about half a year ago and I've gotten so hooked, they've skyrocketed to my second band ever. I haven't even watched your reaction yet but I'm excited either way. Gimme Chocolate isn't really the best first time experience for newcomers, but it IS an experience ❤ Here's hoping you can get past the Amuse copyright monster better in the future .. this band is truly a wild ride that I think/hope you'll enjoy! There is so much more than just the music. The choreo is one of a kind.. most songs tell a story and the choreo acts it out as Su sings ...and well, the Kami band is Dream Theater level skilled musicians!

[@teacher_alex_coelho]

Road of resistence live on japan, Catch me of you can, Megitsune, karate(live version from 2016 Download festival), Ijime Damme Zettai live and of course, AKATISUKI

[@baumi-metal9123]

Finally you have arrived at my 2nd fav after Rush haha. Every song is different and they will amaze you. For YOU I would recommend the live version from "Tales of the Destinies" which is a bit similar to Dream Theater. I bet you will love that...Greets from germany. If you wanna have a short look what they did in Sakura Gakuin - kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqfNiZxsjZp4hpo - all three are in the left group btw. Enjoy.

[@albreezy26]

Maximum the hormone surely must be next, they're the Japanese system of a down to me. Super eclectic and genre bending stuff that has ripped for years

[@Agrimorfee]

You beat me to it. Seconding.

[@hundvd_7]

Oh my god yes

[@Paul-lm8cw]

I knew them because of death note, but i still listen to them because they are awesome!

[@SylviusTheMad]

The comparison I like to make between JPop and KPop is this: KPop is made for export. The whole point of KPop is that everyone will like it. JPop is made for a Japanese market. They genuinely don't care if people outside Japan get it.

[@submandave1125]

A perfect summary of the JPop/KPop distinction, one that IMHO and experience is somewhat reflective of the respective cultures. Korean culture tends to place a high value on recognition of excellence and external validation of status, while Japanese culture is often more focused on a more personal sense of accomplishment and improvement.

[@Enochulator]

jpop >

[@mikepowers9486]

You seem to have a good attitude and open mind to new music. With BABYMETAL you definitely found one of the most fun, talented, humble, and unique bands ever. Enjoy the journey if you jump down the Fox Hole. 🤘🦊🤘

[@mousemacleod9184]

Rob Halford has said that BABYMTAL is the future of heavy metal

[@Guysm1l3y]

Would love to see what you think of their take on a prog anthem (Tales of the Destinies).

[@Delphinixa]

They used a backing track for this song performed live at Legend 97, on some other songs they used musicians to back them up. Funny thing is, Babymetal is touring at this moment with some members from Galactic Empire as the main musicians. They're called the Western Kamiband, because you also have the Eastern Kamiband from Japan, all excellent musicians. This song "Gimme Chocolate" was I hate to use the term Gimmick, but it stood out and got the attention from the metal music scene as planned. The lead singer has a few solo songs, Akatsuki, No Rain No Rainbow, Rondo of Nightmare (Live at Budokan) that are certainly worth checking out, you'll be surprised by the production and musical quality during the live shows, all from a few years back. For newer material, please check out the Trilogy of Lights Live, the songs and the band have matured, and the songwriting is very interesting, new, and very original and powerful. Love your reactions and to be honest, I was surprised you chose this song from Babymetal. Mostly the follow-up song to react to Gimme Chocolate is Road of Resistance, the Live version, with real musicians of another level !! :)

[@adelardj7026]

It's awesome you tried them, but from musical side and song building perspective, I think there are much more complex songs that you will enjoy from this band. Try "Rondo of Nightmare" live at budokan black night! :)

[@johngiaccardi2299]

Great reaction BABYMETAL has been a great fun for me They made the days during the lockdown mush fun Today I’m at the hospital because on Sunday I had some memory loss But this reaction made my day Why? Because you about to learn that BABYMETAL is a very unique and special band The best live performers in the world The biggest metal band ever from Japan They love and admire by every metal musician they had performed with So you should check to songs next one is very important for the girls It is fun and very insane HEADBANGER LEGEND 1997 The same concert that GIVE ME CHOCOLATE IS THEN You need to see the FIRST TAKE PERFORMANCE OF MONOCHROME PIANO VERSION I think you are going to love this one It is amazing Also happens to be about HIROSHIMA as SU is from that city So thanks for the happy moment Hope you do this two songs I’ll be waiting From LA John

[@haileene703]

That monochrome version from THE FIRST TAKE is about 100x better than the original studio version. Fell in love with the whole THE FIRST TAKE "experience" with that, and damn this channel is good and has some serious gems in it. Anyway, take care, and get well soon.

[@johngiaccardi2299]

@@haileene703 Thanks I’m ok But BABYMETAL always makes it better

[@haileene703]

@@johngiaccardi2299 they do bring that smile and energy back for sure 😉

[@jakemuller8626]

Welcome to the Foxhole and BabyMetal journey 🦊🤘🌐 Cool to hear you got all the info you need for your first BM reaction and i hope your metal monday becomes BM monday. You still need to know a couple of more things such the Kami Band (which they not here) and the new official member MomoMetal since last month, but don't worry, you'll get there, eventually. Just careful with these ladies they can drag you into the Foxhole and you don't wanna let it out.🦊🤘🍫

[@ryanbritt6874]

"Gimme Chocolate" is kind of a gimmicky silly song, but Babymetal is completely serious about what they do. Check out some of their more recent stuff, like "Shine" or "Monochrome" and you'll get a fuller picture of the band.

[@FeinesFabi]

BABYMETAL - Ijime,Dame,Zettai - Live at Sonisphere 2014,UK (OFFICIAL) - Please?

[@mysticvirgo9318]

oh there are tons of different japanese metal out there .. Ningen Isu, Broken by the Scream, Unlucky Morpheus, Jupiter, Otoboke Beaver ( I lied they are Punk) , PassCode, Iron Bunny, Maximum the Hormone , Mary's Blood, Band Maid... dozens more... Also, there are NO bad Babymetal tunes they are all excellently done! If you want a newer Babymetal .. BxMxC is a real romp :)

[@haileene703]

There are no bad Babymetal songs, but damn that last studio album is seriously badly engineered soundwise imo. Songs are good, but not the recording. Can't wait to hear the best songs performed live at this point. And yes indeed that Japanese metal scene is INSANELY talented. And I love you SO MUCH from not going with 2 of the most "promoted" bands in reaction channels first (aka LOVEBITES, and that you gave very good takes before adding Band Maid to the mix) Pretty sure since you mention many oldre bands, you also include NEMOPHILA in the "dozens more" bands. If you never heard of them, you should check them out. Pretty hit or miss, but most likely hit for you I guess due to your very good list. (Damn I love Unlucky Morpheous)

[@TheCyberMantis]

LOVEBITES is #1.

[@outkasthackkrewsierravista9971]

Babymetal is the innovator of this genre. Every album has been more incredible than the last album. Babymetal has become a staple of mine and of my friends. I enjoyed your analysis of the song very much. I cannot play any instrument but I love good music . I don't understand what they're singing about but music is international. Do more on Babymetal.

[@modiglian]

It's so satisfying when a Babymetal virgin peeks unknowingly into the foxhole, begins by "Gimme chocolate" and the surprised face when Moa and Yui do their "ata ta ta tata ta ta kyun!"😃 Welcome to The One, it's always nice when a professional does a review/reaction 💯 Since there are 200+ comments already, I guess the flood of Babymetal lore has begun, along with the suggestions to react to the Best Su-Metal solos, etc... please bear with us 😮

[@10Shun]

Babymetal's discography is akin to a theatrical feast. Gimme Chocolate is THE sugary appetizer which - depending on your taste buds - could be awesome or awful. I myself find Gimme Choco insanely addictive. The main course comprise of a more than 50 dishes of various flavors, borrowing from all sorts of musical cuisines and heritage. You ask what is the accompanying drink? Easy...Babymetal Death. 😂😂😂

[@DannyD714]

i just saw a different live baby metal video that blows this one away...."catch me if you can". it starts with each band member getting featured before the girls come out.

[@ちびたか-q7v]

BABYMETAL - Rondo of Nightmare (w/ Mischiefs of Metal Gods Intro) LIVE at Budokan kzbin.info/www/bejne/qp6woJaGbp6EobM

[@stevekreitler9349]

I heard a guy in a convenience store in west Texas tell the cashier that he was a professor, teaching classical music and musical theater. I told him that he should look these girls up, because he is equipped to appreciate everything that is going on in there shows (which are extremely theatrical, as well as very accomplished musically).

[@dosgos]

c.2014 I saw BabyMetal on a "streecorner" in Shinjuku. They were just a few dozen people watching. The stage was super small and I don't remember if it was just the 3 singers. I only watched for a minute but found it quite shocking. Incredible how big the band got. The band has chops and the kids are very professional.

[@AxeSwipe2011]

Babymetal's backing band is called the Kami Band (not seen in this video, the guys in skeleton costumes are actors pretending to play over backing track and have not been used since 2013) which is a rotating cast of some of the best session musicians Japan has to offer. I see you did a reaction to Galactic Empire for May the 4th. Fun fact! Galactic Empire opened for BM a few years ago and then some of the members of Galactic Empire became members of the Kami Band of the West, backing Babymetal on U.S. and European shows (they are already used to wearing masks on stage! Lol). Kami means Spirit or god, they are the gods of guitar, bass and drums summoned by the Fox God to support Babymetal during live performances. They do not perform on studio recordings (with the exception of guitarist Leda Cygnus who does have a few recording credits).

From the album my favourites are Monochrome, Divine Attack and Mirror Mirror. That last one has very interesting guitar compositions.

[@rrahl]

The entire band is amazingly talented, but Su-Metal is just in her own universe as a singer. I hope you go down the foxhole in a rough timeline to see their natural progression - it's worth it to see them grow into the powerhouse of a band they become, and Su-Metal surprises with more power and precision virtually every new song. I've never been so impressed with a singer as I am with Su-metal, I hope you continue the journey, they are fantastic.

[@lookingatsunsets636]

Totally agree.

[@shallowlord]

Only the Fox God knows..

[@theslay66]

Finally getting into babymetal ? It was long overdue. There's a lot to cover with this band, as they adapt all kind of metal genres. You should check Rondo of Nigthmare, certainly one of their most interesting piece (although not the most popular).

[@road-runner]

Excellent reaction / analysis, thanks and welcome to BABYMETAL. Probably the most important thing you need to now right now is that they are very diverse musically and there's no two songs that sound similar (except for "Tales of the Destinies" and "The ONE", but these songs are intrinsically related). "Gimme Chocolate" is a fun song and it's probably not their best one... but it's so much fun. And you have been told this a million of times already, but they are way better live. Here is my suggestion for you, still one of their first songs, but way more serious: "Ijime, Dame, Zettai" (Live at Sonisphere 2014): kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKCQkJaYm8mlj6c Until next time!

[@Alicest.]

You sort of mentioned it in the video, but I'd still like to point out that this particular song is probably mostly known for its shock value and I don't think it's a great representation of Babymetal, at least not anymore. I'd recommend something more current like Karate live in Budokan or No Rain No Rainbow in Hiroshima. Their latest album has some of their best work, but there aren't many concert videos yet, and that's where Babymetal truly shines But now that you have started reacting to japanese metal, you'll probably be flooded with recommendations for many different bands anyway haha

[@jamesrawlins735]

When Babymetal began, all three girls were part of the Japanese Idol group Sakura Gakuin - a very cute school girl concept. In fact part of their story was they all were in this middle school created for tv and would sing and dance cute songs (if you see Sakura Gakuin, the dance that Moa and Yuimetal does is based on the choreography from that group). Babymetal actually started out as the "metal" club of the school. This song was performed at Sakura Gakuin concerts, which is aimed at their young girl and middle aged men fans. It was only after there was a lot of interest from the audiences that the creator decided to make Babymetal an actual metal group and changed their songs.

[@Alicest.]

@@jamesrawlins735 thank you! I did know about their past roughly, about them being a subgroup of Sakura Gakuin, but I hadn't considered how young their target audience was at that time. It's still unfortunate that this is how most people get introduced to Babymetal. It's not a bad song, but it's so jarring watching this one after having watched Metal Kingdom or listened to Divine Attack lol

[@nekoneko-jd]

I really need to see a reaction to babymetal's "Tales of the destinies" and after that "the One" the two songs belong together

[@artunblock9433]

That would be awesome

[@keithlego8057]

WAY TO GO DOUG.🤟 Yes more babymetal and more Zappa❤😊

[@ericeason7646]

"However you want to pop" 😂. This song is bizarre at the onset but definitely becomes an earworm. I love your channel Doug.

[@Inosuke_Hashibira75]

More BabyMetal. Ijime dame Zettai live at Sonisphere 2014

[@enepomnyaschih]

Ijime Dame Zettai is very underrated. I wish they performed it more live nowadays. So as No Rain No Rainbow.

[@rpmfla]

I'm not into Metal or J-Pop music but for me this band just works! I'm a fan. Also, whoever art directs their videos is a genius.

[@Dragon-Believer]

The guy who designs their sets is the best in the business. I think their Budokan stage was his best work. That or Yokohama 2015 with the giant fox statues.

[@RacconPolice]

Good reaction 🤙Welcome to the foxhole 🦊🤘 Funny you mentioned video-game because this was used, as well as Megitsune, in Tiny Tina's Wonderland trailer which is how I fell into the foxhole. Keep the Babymetal party going 🤘🔥🦊

[@meimemeime]

Some say that BABYMETAL is a band that measures the music level of those who listen to them. 😊 Also, all the songs are completely different and could be described as different genres. I believe that every time you listen to the same or different songs, they will give you new discoveries and joy. And when you realize it, you will be stuck in a foxhole! The more you know about music, the deeper you will fall.😆 From Japan🦊

[@ndox9009]

" Live BABYMETAL is Life "

[@deucemcallister13]

I love Babymetal, dude. They are super fun and enjoyable. Watch any of their live shows and you'll see the hard work put into action. Intense chorography and wildly skilled band, who call themselves the Kami Band. They are so fun.

[@lochlanfleming1968]

You just reacted to GALACTIC EMPIRE. You would be happy to hear that after GALACTIC EMPIRE toured with BABYMETAL a lot of their members actually became the session musicians for the band. They are now called the ‘KAMI BAND of the west” BABYMETAL has matured alot in the past few years. Their new album features more mature songs, with more mature themes and less songs focused on a purely kawaii theme. They are not a gimmick band anymore. After the release of their second album, I have observed they have thrown away the cute theme and focused on the theme of ‘fun’ instead. I hope you look more into this band. They are the best in the world. They saved me during a really, really hard time in my life. And I wouldn’t be anywhere without them today. Just react to what the other kitsunes are requesting. They will guide you in the right direction. The most fanatical and loyal fan base in the world. Kitsunes up! 🦊 🤘

[@andrevolker]

I've been struggling to find awesome music made in the 21st century., besides Radiohead, Rammstein Bonamassa and a few others . But when I stumbled on Babymetal a few months ago I was as perplexed as so many others have been by them. What a breath of fresh air these girls and guys are! More importantly- they are pure fun :) I hope you enjoyed the experience as much as I do .

[@davidl5452]

Would highly recommend Band-Maid, Rolling Quartz and Nemophila. All great female bands.

[@BagoPorkRinds]

Go down the deep rabbit of J-Metal and J-Rock. There is so much more talent and great music coming out of Japan.

[@AlizeeDefan]

wait till u see ROAD OF RESISTANCE

[@haydenchristensen5298]

I am a really big BABYMETAL fan I would suggest to watch Headbanger and always watch the live performances they’re way better live and also Road of resistance live in Japan is always good if you don’t wanna listen to the Earley stuff I would suggest pa pa ya r u might like Maya off their brand new album

[@Hadesillo]

Their live performers have been over the years, mostly: Boh - Bass Hideki Aoyama - Drums Isao - Guitar Takayoshi Ohmura - Guitar Mikio Fujioka - Guitar Leda Cygnus - Guitar With the guitars switching among two of them. They are not recognized as official members of Babymetal, they are called the Kami Band and are support artists for Babymetal (the three girls). The music is written by several renowned japanese music writers in the pop and rock scenes, and overseen by their producer, Key Kobayashi, that's the creator and mastermind behind the project, the guy who thought about merging idols and Heavy Metal. The Kami Band lost Mikio Fujioka when he passed away due to an accident in 2018, and they also lost one of the dancer girls, Yui Mizuno, that decided to leave the group in 2018. After using some temporary replacements finally in 2023 a girl named Momoko Okazaki has been confirmed as her substitute. BABYMETAL is now Suzuka Nakamoto, Moa Kikuchi and Momoko Okazaki. Stuff from their last album, for example, check Mirror Mirror.

[@royfugate]

The bands original lineup consisted of of Suzuka Nakamoto as "Su-metal", Moa Kikuchi as "Moametal" , and Yui Mizuno as "Yuimetal" . In October 2018, Babymetal announced that Yui Mizuno had decided to leave the band due to poor health, following her absence from live performances since December 2017. After her departure, the band performed with one or more backup dancers at live performances. One of those dancers, Momoko Okazaki (a former member of Sakura Gakuin), joined Babymetal as the third core member in April 2023, under the name Momometal.

[@nickydexgg4579]

I absolutely love when people with formal musical training react to this group! I'm sure you'll have a lot of other comments, packed full of facts about this group, so I'll keep this short. I hope you do more Babymetal reactions!

[@johnschultz7765]

Babymetal do also have more serious songs. An early one is Ijime, Dame, Zettai (No more bullying, forever).

[@gwts1171]

X Japan are a really cool Japanese hard rock/metal band.

[@jasonnielsen9683]

For something more interesting by Babymetal I would suggest "Road of Resistance", "Tales of the destinies" into "The One" and something newer "Mirror Mirror"

[@lavrentivs9891]

I strongly recommend their song "Catch me if you can", not only does the live version start with a series of great solos from the band, but the song combines the singers' young voices with growling =)

[@MacTaipan]

Well, gotta add a second comment after watching, since on the iPad I can’t edit comments for some reason: You are probably going to experience first hand that BABYMETAL are polarizing. There will probably be comments cursing you for featuring this band that destroys Metal. People like me, on the other hand, believe that branching out like this is essential for Metal to stay relevant. For me personally, they dethroned Dream Theater, who had been my favourite band for about two decades. This band is just so incredibly entertaining and fresh, I can’t get enough of them. And the positivity they ooze is a welcome change in Metal. Their total spectrum of music is very wide, from songs that are even more playful than this to others that are very heavy and (almost) pure Metal. And of course everything in between and a lot of stuff on the sides. You‘ll find influences from Hip Hop, Waltz, Reggae, Ska, EDM, Dubstep, Latin and Indian tunes and more, and all that is fused with various sub-genres of Metal. There’s also a song that could come straight out of Dream Theater‘s book. One would think that this couldn’t work, but I guess that you have already gotten an idea that it actually does. And it only gets better once you see past the initial weirdness. Add to that other unusual facets like a dance choreography for every song, the positive aura, insane stage production, and amazingly talented musicians, great interaction with the passionate crowd, and you get a pretty complete package of entertainment. I have always been a metalhead, and I certainly wouldn’t have accepted dancing in my Metal back in my teenage years. Thankfully, I have grown up, and it can hardly be denied that it adds a lot to the entertainment value. Gimme Chocolate certainly isn’t the most sophisticated song, both musically and lyrically. But it is very entertaining and still makes me smile every time. Their lyrics are often open to interpretation, so a simple song about chocolate and fear of gaining weight might actually be criticizing social pressure, which I think is probably an even more relevant topic in Japanese society than it is here in the West. I‘m sure you‘ll get heaps of recommendations for other songs. But since you asked for something recent, my recommendation would be „Monochrome“ from the latest album. It’s going to be less weird, though. :-) The band comprises of session musicians, but there has been a relatively stable cast over the years, most notably Hideki Aoyama on drums, Takayoshi Ohmura and LEDA Cygnus on guitars, BOH (Daisuke Bohte) on bass. Another guitarist, Mikio Fujioka, passed away after a tragic accident in 2018 at age 36. Technically, only the girls are marketed as BABYMETAL, although many fans would love to see the band move out of the shadows some more. You might notice in future reactions that all of them are outstanding musicians.

[@pin-upmariposa412]

Congratulation. After long time of fight this reaction is unblock. I hope this time YT will not block it again. Kami Band (musician that play on shows) : Takayoshi Ohmura (Guitar) Leda Cygnus (Guitar) BOH (Bass) Hideki Aoyama (Drums) If you wish to see more from back musician I recommend song Rondo of nightmare (w/ Mischiefs of Metal Gods Intro) , live performance at Budokan Black Night

[@peterpike]

There are a lot of other songs that are even better from Babymetal. "Megitsune" and "Karate" are some of my favorites, but it's hard to go wrong with any of their songs.

[@dylanhamilton7190]

Ah yeah! I hope you get to Band-Maid also. They are another great band from Japan. Much more western influenced tho. Think you would really enjoy them. They’re all incredible musicians

[@ekkanofiqandriyana7325]

I've always put my quality headphones in full volume everytime listening to this song since its released, and onidari and GJ and 4 NO UTA and of course the mighty AWADAMA FEVER 😂. Iam a legit metalhead for 25 years since i was very very little kid at 10 year old so its almost my entire life but can't resist babymetal since they cameup with dokidoki 😂. Honestly i love Black Babymetal (with yui in it of course) more than babymetal, now that is the best Black metal inthe planet..!! In Indonesia we get babymetal concert earlier than many countries, its 2013. And in upcoming 2 weeks they will be here AGAIN (25 may 2023) .!!

[@keshanizm]

Great reaction! We want more BABYMETAL 🔥🔥🔥🤘🦊🤘

[@jerolddavis]

Love this band! And you know, since I discovered them accidentally on KZbin one day, I've seen a whole lot of people with a whole lot of diverse specialties listen to and watch Babymetal. And no matter how it matched their personal taste, I have never heard a single critique about the quality of their work from anyone with musical expertise of any kind. They are simply one of the best acts around, which for something that started with 3 girls between 10 and 12, really says a ton about them.

[@elvwood]

BM are really fun live - I saw them with Sabaton and Lordi last month, three bands that all put on highly theatrical shows in different ways. They have amazing energy - it sometimes feels like watching a metal ballet - and Su's vocals have matured a lot in the last decade. If you ever feel like doing a double, the _Monochrome_ music video and First Take piano version work really well side by side.

[@Amberas1]

Such an awesome band! This song is what usually gets people interested, it's so different. But when you start going deeper, they have some reaaaaally cool stuff. I'd recommend watching a lot of their live performances, especially Road of Resistance live in Japan, and Syncopation [Live compilation HQ].

[@Grenader3000]

Love when I find specialists that do reactions. Glad I found this. I suggest doing Road of Resistance live in Japan next. Really amazing reaction.

[@renefrijhoff2484]

The band backing the girls is called Kami-band (kami written as 神 means god), summoned by the fox-god (hence the fox face regularly seen as mask in the video's or as a big face statue on stage). I do like (and have) the 1st 2 albums (haven't heard the others), but I'm more into Yousei teikoku (Eng: Fairy empire), who combine heavy / gothic metal and classical (style) music which makes Symphonic metal. Though they also incorparate electronic music in their songs. One of their early ones (1997 and only consisting of 2 musicians: singer Yui Itsuki and composer/arranger Takaha Tachibana): kzbin.info/www/bejne/fl67aZhvqbNmodE more later in their discography (2007): kzbin.info/www/bejne/nmWkq4uAZ6mYi68 and from their latest album, The age of villains (2020): kzbin.info/www/bejne/hIu8anxnnZmkldE

[@The_Original_Geoff_B]

I can't believe you're just discovering Babymetal . . . Actually, I sometimes feel a little jealous of people finding them now as there is such a wealth of material out there. I was introduced to them via the "Doki Doki Morning" video when it was still in the low thousands of views, and was instantly confused, amazed, and smitten . . . I would suggest taking a look at "Megitsune" next, as it brings more overt Japanese musical influences. And the official video is excellent. Oh, and they've already released three albums. - I'm looking at the vinyl copies now :)

[@jaroslavhanel6739]

If You likew this You must see Road of ressistence live in Japan by Babymetal. They cooperate on this with dragonforce and its briliant

[@ijime_dame_zettai__]

Please react to Road of Resistance by Babymetal too!! Really liked the music analysis here.

[@Trygvar13]

Babymetal reminds a little of Iron Maiden in the way they control the crowd. Their latest album was released in late March and I just keep listening to it. I would suggest you watch Headbanger. The live versions are out of this world.

[@davidhuffman1173]

I love baby metal! Been a fan sine 2011. Found their first album at an FYE with my kiddos. Had no idea who they were or what they sounded like. So we hop in the car, pop in the CD. First track is Gimme Chocolate. My kids and I are flabbergasted. Such hard hitting metal and anime soundtrack sounds combined!

[@mltdwn5415]

Great reaction, really enjoyed this, and I can't wait for you to discover more. I highly recommend the song tales of the destinies

[@craigwang7857]

This is the most brutal heavy song for a chocolate.😂 They also have one song for chewing gum, another for papaya salad. There are many male or female J-metal bands, but the genre Kawaii metal, unfortunately, Babymetal is the only band in the world. Babymetal music is not only metal plus j-pop, but also well meshed different music elements into one song, so no song sounds alike. Looking forward to your next reaction.

[@normanweaver7935]

"Most brutal"? You clearly haven't heard "We Love Sweets" by Hanabie yet 😀 Two and a half minutes of "WTF was THAT?!"

[@craigwang7857]

@@normanweaver7935 Chocolate could be sweets, unless it's sugar free, but sweets do not equal to chocolate, right?😊

[@normanweaver7935]

@@craigwang7857 Fair lol. Was mostly trying to get more ears and eyes on Hanabie. They're utterly bonkers and I love them 🤪

[@craigwang7857]

@@normanweaver7935 👍

[@edmoses2657]

Two of the guitarists that has helped this band is Takayoshi Ohmura and Marty Friedman of Megadeth.

[@AustShadow]

The drummer just kills it. So powerful.

[@ciciedee5474]

Road of resistance budokan is a must, then Rondo will let you know the band

[@Brett_Aint_Dead]

I discovered them way to late , like last year . Downloaded entire catalog, jpop and metal , works so well apparently .

[@KharaChmiel]

So much more great music in their catalogue! You MUST continue reacting! I would suggest Tales of the Destinies, Megitsune Live, Rondo of NIghtmare with Kami Band intro, Akatsuki, Yava, Mirror Mirror, The trilogy of Light (trio of songs)....AND THATS JUST THE BEGINNING.

[@fragalot]

Babymetal is of the genre "cute-metal" (Kawaii = cute) but following along with the tradition of Japanese "idol" style of presentation. They have been around for over 10 years now, all the girls are in their 20s. And there's been one member that was recently replaced. Their style covers lots of geres and it's not just metal mixed with cute girl voices. They do rap, indian folk music, rock, ballads, but largely metal.

[@brianmassey7563]

love the detailed analysis. keep up the good work! It's the happy side of metal music and I love it!

[@Wombatmetal]

Babymetal is a band of layers. Yes, the lyrics are about chocolate and the pressures of maintaining a certain body image. One of the interpretations of the "ra-ta-ta-ta-ta" lyrics and Moa and Yui pointing a finger gun at Su is that young ladies feel under attack to maintain an image. That's one layer. Another layer is Valentines Day, where in Japan girls are expected to give chocolate to all the boys/men they know. This is called giri choco (song is gimi choco), or obligation choco. Here the girls aren't giving away chocolate, they're keeping it. And the song was released coincidentally just before Valentine's Day. The band are masters of subtle messaging. Very complex stuff. You should also check out Band Maid, Lovebites, and my favorite Nemophila. All female bands with different sounds, and just shows how vibrant the Japanese metal community is. Also Poppy, and American artist who took Kawaii Metal a different direction. And Maximum the Hormone, there is no one like them in the world. They are chaos in a bottle.

[@mikew9106]

This is the song that gets a lot of people introduced to Babymetal. It goes back to when they were very young. Check out some of their later stuff. They really have matured and gotten better while keeping all the fun stuff too.

[@darkelfling65]

Their backing band is amazing and if you want to see what they can do, you need to check out Rondo of Nightmare live from Budokan Black Night (from 2014). There is a "prelude" called Mischeif of Metal Gods. Better songs are Megitsune, Road to Resistence and Karate.

[@carlarojas1691]

Gimme Chocolate is not by far the best BABYMETAL song but I fully understand why people usually recommend it for the first reaction to the band. It is a song that completely represents that rarity that highlights the group itself, that mix of heavy metal with jpop and cute voices is the classic of BM although now clearly the girls are much more adult. Gimme Chocolate belongs to the first BABYMETAL album so as you can see in the video the girls were very young (Su, the main vocalist was 16 and Yui/Moa was 14) so ​​I recommend you start looking for more recent music from the girls already that now they are in their 20's and clearly they had matured musically, choreographically and vocally so yeah, good reaction.

[@md_vandenberg]

Babymetal didn't surprise me when "Gimme Chocolate" dropped in 2014 because I had already seen their video for "Doki Doki Morning" from 2012. You think they're diminutive and adorable in this video...

[@iabconsulting]

One of their bst songs is Pa Pa Ya. It features some rap ontop of the rest of the sounds.