Composer/Musician Reacts to Babymetal - Tales of The Destinies (REACTION!!!)

Bryan reacts to and talks about his thoughts on Tales of The Destinies
ORIGINAL VIDEO: • Tales of The Destinies
Patreon: www.patreon.com/criticalreactions
Twitter: critreactions

[@Zedem0n]

When it comes to BABYMETAL you will often stumble upon nods and easter eggs toward other metal groups and metal genres. This was definetly a nod to Dreamtheater and Mike Portnoy himself in a tweet said this song was great. The mastermind behind BABYMETAL is Key "Koba" Kobayashi, he's a long-time metalhead and he works for the talent agency Amuse where he proposed the idea to front a metal band with three would be J-pop idols. He didn't choose Suzuka Nakamoto randomly though. She herself inspired him to try this because when he heard her voice he thought that maybe, just maybe, she could be fronting a metal band and her voice would be powerful enough to go over it. He was right. He wasn't given much budget to begin with and a lot of people thought that would never gel well together but here we are, 10 years later and the girls are touring the world with their live bands, nicknamed the Kamis (Gods in Japanese). The fans know and love the regular Kamis as much as the girls fronting, singing and doing the choreography to their music. The composing part comes in a more manufactured way, the girls do not write the music nor do the Kamis (well Yui and Moa did write the song "Song 4" off their first album and some members of the Kami band have written some parts here and there). The girls do have an increasingly growing influence on the music they make though as they're getting the hang of it and are now in their early 20ies (Su will turn 22 this month and Moa has turned 20 in July). They may not write or play an instrument, but they're the cherry on top that makes everything work so well together. To really appreciate BABYMETAL, you gotta look at what they're doing live, because that's where they shine. From the production value to the choreography to the musicianship to the crowd control... It's a whole package of a show everytime. They've won several awards for Best Live Act from notably Kerrang! and MTV. The girls are full of talent and work very hard. The thousands of hours they've worked to learn the song, to learn the dance routine and to entertain the crowds is why they're beloved so much. They look up to metal legends who taught them most of what they know like Metallica or Rob Halford. You've got to see BABYMETAL as a massive tribute band to metal and music in general. Their latest album featured many known people from the music/metal world such as White-Gluz from Arch Enemy or Sabaton & many others. No two songs sound the same, they've invented a genre now called Kawaii Metal (or Cute Metal) but really it can also be named "Metal Theatre" because when you're going to a show, you get a damn show. ;)

[@0okamino]

Here it is: twitter.com/MikePortnoy/status/814239777998458880 :D

[@peervermeiren8902]

Thank you so much for your insight and background information. Maybe you could put that also on wiki if you have reference articles etc.?

[@Zedem0n]

@@peervermeiren8902 Thanks ! I'm glad that my wall of text did help some people get some background info on them. Tough this is a very summarized history and the whole story would make a pretty good book ;). This is information I have gathered over the months of learning who and what BABYMETAL is. I'm guessing there are quite a few websites (fanmade) that have plenty of information on everything :).

[@flowerdolphin5648]

@@0okamino "they don't play an instrument" is not true, Moa has been playing the guitar since she was 6.

[@JGM0JGM]

@@flowerdolphin5648 Also, the way Su-sama sings, she is playing an instrument. For instance, she is responsible for the syncopation (not sure if it is the right word, she described what she wanted to do, and to me it sounded like some sort of syncopation) between the lyrics and the music in BxMxC... as demOn said, as they mature, they take a bigger part in the musical aspects... Kitsune up, Po!

[@LouieGrandie]

Also you don't get the full BabyMetal experience by listening to them, you get it by WATCHING them. People who go to their concerts routinely say it was the greatest night of their lives. This is why everyone wanted you to WATCH Road of Resistance. It is an epic tour de force of singing, dancing, audience participation, band performance. Great technical break down of the song by the way

[@FlagerMiszcz]

I always cringe when I watch them, just prefer the music

[@Grington300]

Yes finally! 'Tales of the Destinies'. Great choice of song for your first BABYMETAL reaction - and great reaction. I am so happy you avoided 'Gimme Chocolate', it may have the most views but a large part of that is because it gets a "WTF" reaction from so many people and the people recommending it think that is funny to watch. That is all very well when you're showing a friend a video on KZbin, but for someone doing a serious review of a band they don't know it rarely gives a good first impression. 'Gimme Chocolate' is not a bad song, but it is one of their more pop-oriented, fun songs. Their other songs nearly all have more lyrical depth and fuse the different musical genres they use a lot more smoothly. People recommend 'Road of Resistance' (live in Japan) because the live performance and staging were so good, again it isn't necessarily their best song (although many may list it as their own favourite). 'Road of Resistance' is a power/speed metal song written in collaboration with Herman Li and Sam Totman of DragonForce who wrote the guitar arrangements and played on the studio recording. 'Tales of the Destinies' really does give a big nod to Dream Theater (and you're not the first to say BABYMETAL did some of it better). It does also flow into the next song on the album 'The One'. I believe they were both one song when the writing started and they share some melody lines and themes but were separated. The one time they played 'Tales of the Destinies' live was at Tokyo Dome in 2016 where they closed the first night of the two (both sold out 55,000 people per night and a completely different set list on each night) with it and 'The One' as the big finale. You talked of the choreography between vocals, guitars and drums ... BABYMETAL also have choreographed dance moves for every song (possibly not so much for the lead singer's solo songs) that they perform with the same precision as the musicians of the Kami Band play their instruments. Live versions of all their songs are really where BABYMETAL are at their best - listening to the albums is all very well but they are first and foremost a live performance act, many liken them to musical theatre. The albums are good but it is like listening to the soundtrack of a movie you've never seen and don't know the plot, you need the visuals of the live performances to get the whole picture and to see the other 50% of what they are all about. No two BABYMETAL songs are the same, you will find prog, speed, power, black, death, folk and pretty much any other metal genre in their catalogue and they will be mixed with other musical genres like ska, reggae, rap, EDM and who knows what else along with the clear vocal style of the lead singer Su-metal. Is it a manufactured band? Originally yes, but not in the way most westerners think - this was not an idea dreamed up by suits in a board room that they thought might make money and then they found some pretty girls to front it. BABYMETAL is the brainchild of one man who was a lifelong metalhead and saw the potential of a particular young pop singer. He had the opportunity to work with her as a part of the newly formed Idol group Sakura Gakuin and he formed the heavy music sub unit around her. When it was time for her to graduate from Sakura Gakuin in 2013 (it had a school theme and was for girls aged 11 to 15, same as an ordinary middle school) BABYMETAL broke away with her to become a band in their own right. I hope you do more BABYMETAL - I could recommend some of my favourites or ones I think you might like more, but this worked well so maybe pick another track at random and ask for a link to the best live version (many of those will not be on KZbin).

[@golfer435]

Well, there's a very good reason whey Su-Metal is referred to as the Goddess of Metal.

[@michaelwolf6692]

I like your randomgenerator :D This song needs more reactions.

[@schelin1447]

This is BABYMETAL! Another prog-like song from them is Rondo of Nightmare (make sure you do the live version with the Mischief of Gods intro). From their latest album METAL GALAXY I recommend the latin flavored Night Night Burn.

[@adambrown9654]

I second this.

[@hizkias2679]

Night night burn goes hard, might be my favorite off the album!

[@joe90390]

Yes on rondo of nightmare personally in my opinion I feel animals as leader play those song I heard some CAFO influence on that song Just my two cent

[@daguitarman808]

You can get the live version of this....buy the BABYMETAL live at the Tokyo Dome on Google Play or iTunes. It's pretty cheap and you won't be sorry. They sold out 2 nights at 55,000 ppl a night not many bands can say that. You react to Babymetal I sub... Aloha from Maui 😎🤘

[@timgove5337]

Dream theater. Goes into power ballad. Always mash pop/metal styles, but more often than not, each song targets a different sub-genre; prog, viola. They actually began (age 11) by considering themselves a “metal dance unit” but leader Su can really sing. The ragtime is both a reference to dream theater and a chance to use the cute in cute metal (kawaii) as they grew more metal and less pop. They only performed this madness once, ages17-18, this vid is a fan mashup to avoid getting busted for uploading the dvd. Point is, they could all perform it, even the side dancers. (Keyboards are on tracks, as nearly always with them). I was likewise impressed when I saw this... kzbin.info/www/bejne/aIHTeJmXlrCch7M Or the straight dvd rip, 18mins of the pair of songs. In their homeland, they throw one off productions that are simply Epic. Look for the neckbands(gifts to audience) to surprisingly light the stadium on command www.dailymotion.com/video/x5ggoil

[@LouieGrandie]

First and foremost BabyMetal is a visual band. Their choreography is unlike anything being done in any level of music today. Everyone suggested Road of Resistance because of the epic wall of death, epic audience sing along, epic choreograph and epic singing and band performance. You should also watch Pa Pa Ya! Feat. F. Hero with the key word WATCH.

[@extrradicals5868]

Perfect reasoning. I appreciate this comment.

[@steffenjachnow8176]

First: The ending was a little bit abrupt because it transitions directly into the last song ("The One"") of this album. Both songs were originally supposed to be one song but later divided into two songs. And yes, this is their nod to Dream Theater. And you have to see a live performance of this song someday! It's astonishing! But: BABYMETAL doesn't serve only one style of metal music. They are extremely diverse. While "Tales of the Destinies" is my personal favorite from their second album, my favorite song so far is "Rondo of Nightmare" from the first self-titled album. But for a possible next BABYMETAL reaction I recommend you to do *"Ijime, Dame, Zettai"* live at Sonisphere Festival 2014 in the UK: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKCQkJaYm8mlj6c . This was their first exposure to a big western metal crowd and this song marked the end of their 40-minute-gig. I want to add, they were upgraded by the organizers (because of their rising popularity) to open the main stage at this day back then.

[@watcher2554]

Finally! A first time reaction from the heart of the catalog. It usually takes new reactors/fans a few weeks, if ever, to get this deep into the mix. So Thank You!! That said, this is indeed one of their more technical/progressive offerings. But almost all of their work is of very high quality compared to many of their western contemporaries...if they even have any..lol. Always tight, always high in the "cool riff" zone. And they are highly praised for their live performances. (Just Google Babymetal and look at the voluminous awards from music writers..Loudwire, Kerrang!, MTV, Metal Hammer..etc). This is not a one off but rather an on-going progression of sound from J-pop Idol Roots to Billboards #1 Top Rock Album week of October 26, 2019. You have been missing out on one hell of a ride over the last decade. I hope you enjoy your ride down the fox hole because it runs Very Deep!! Put your Kitsune UP!! Po!

[@Neorigg]

You accidentaly stumbled upon their most prog/dream theater style song, one of my favorites! Their other songs are more accessible and less technical.

[@The_Great_Darino]

You’d think this was something that couldn’t be performed live without losing something in the performance. And yet..the live performance with the choreography (which can be found on KZbin) adds THAT much more to the creation. 🌟

[@Inosuke_Hashibira75]

This is one of my favourite songs. Wish more reactors would check this track out

[@VicJang]

Inosuke Hashibira we definitely need more. The Tokyo Dome live video is one of my favorite BM love performance. (Yeah I know it’ll be difficult for reactors because of copyright issue.)

[@dudleysmith4394]

They played this song live, once, at their epic show at Tokyo Dome. It will surely take your breath.

[@ChiliConCarnage]

So nice to hear someone appreciate the musicality of Babymetal. So many reactors just getting lost in the gimmick, but the music is extremely high quality.

[@29_jonn]

The final piano goes into their song "The One", so the piano has the same rythm as the "The One" chorous.

[@X1xone]

Their producer, Koba-metal, saw the lead singer (Su-metal) and thought she had a voice that could shine with metal music and then they added the two other girls. So they are "manufactured" in that sense, but it is not like their were tryouts as Su-metal was directly asked if she was interested. Koba-metal leads the song writing process as well, working with many different writers (including the girls in the band for 1 song) to create a very diversified sounding band, where very few songs sound similar. This is a big advantage for them in my opinion as they do not get stuck in a particular "sound" and the usage of multiple writing teams leads to this. The band live, and on the album are always top notch, and with the girls (now young ladies) leading the way to create amazing live shows with energy that is off the charts. Although you enjoyed this song and all their CDs are very good, they are best as a live band.

[@LouieGrandie]

It should be noted that the girls basically grew up together and performed with each other before Baby Metal came into existence. They were not "manufactured" in the sense they did not know each other before the group was created. They knew each other for years. The videos of Yui and Moa hanging out show they were a group long before they were BabyMetal

[@nebpr0]

It's cool that the 'random generator' led you to Tales of the Destinies. It knows what you want to listen. :)

[@adambrown9654]

Bless RNJesus for that one

[@Zz7722zZ]

It’s destiny indeed

[@Gr3nkutz]

If something can blow a bit more you mind, just imagine that they managed to put on this song the perfect choregraphy. (you can found this one easily on dailymotion) For the rest you already have a lot of explanations and recommandations.

[@Lucasgustavom]

You got TOTD by luck? No way haha Its my fav song from them

[@davewilson3683]

Only the Fox God knows.

[@Singulitarian]

I think the Fox God influenced your random number generator. This is a tour de force homage to Dream Theater's Dance of Eternity, one of the most complex songs written with 108 time signature changes. This song kicks it up a few notches by adding overlapping time signatures, vocals and dance.

[@shillaij]

Now listen to The One and it all makes sense at the end. If you listen to the entire first two albums you will also realize how well they wrap up all of their essential elements into this song (in addition to making a lot of references to other songs or groups). With all of the internal and external references, there is a ton to unpack. But it is also amazing how well this song stands on its own.

[@Singulitarian]

The One is the second part of this "symphony."

[@jeffschreifels8651]

Babymetal is manufactured but not in any way like the typical manufactured groups people think of where they are formed in a board room and are shoved into the public's face with tons of money and promos. This was done with a very low budget and it wasn't until they proved themselves as a force in the music industry that they were financially supported by Amuse Inc. Critics like to suggest they are something like the Monkeys of the 1960s, but the fact that so many people never heard of Babymetal even though they have existed for over 9 years is proof right there that they are not manufactured in that way. As you will discover, if you listen to more Babymetal, this project is way too strange for any agency to put real money behind it from the beginning. No sensible CEO would fund an idea of little girls dancing and singing pop vocals to metal music. That would never work, right? :) BTW, yes, the girls dance to metal so prepare for it.. . :D

[@vashdstampede416]

Lmao. Word perfect.....

[@brucemcfarling7810]

Quite. "Experimental" is the word for it ... it started out as a gimmick where to attract attention, one of the "school clubs" that the idols "join" is a heavy metal club, and so they did a jpop meets heavy metal song (Doki Doki) ... but the song they did was a hit, and an idol creation enterprise does not ignore hits, so they did more, and they were just popular enough when it was time for "Su-Metal" to "graduate" from the idol creation enterprise to keep it going as an ongoing group.

[@DeePal072]

As many already told you, their only live version available, the one played at Tokyo Dome, Red Night, is something to be seen, the whole choreography is so good, even the following One, far from being my favourite BABYMETAL song, is outstanding there, while there is not a full clip available, there's at least a compilation featuring some shoots from the show. BABYMETAL is a project born from the idol world but evolved in something unique on many aspects. Still their focus is mainly delivering top notch live shows, everything is done keeping in mind how will it work on stage. 🤘🦊⚡

[@naftulzvi3353]

You should seriously watch the one and only time they've played this live at the Tokyo Dome.

[@happywanderer34]

You REALLY need to watch some of the live concert videos. They are of the chart. May I recommend Rondo of Nightmare with Mischief of the Gods intro live from the Budokan

[@stephenchigwidden7504]

The bit at the end is their song THE ONE (a piano version) but this song is by no stretch of the imagination their best song but it does demonstrate the musical talent they have. Remember the lead singer (Su Metal) was only 13years old when she started singing for this band so There was a need to be age appropriate for some years. She is about to be 22years old but even now its more fun than anything else. I still like what she did around her teen years the best just because they were so young playing in front of gigantic crowds showing more courage than you would expect from people so young

[@ktcworks]

Babymetal runs this with dance choreographs on stage and that's what makes them the one and only.

[@AndresGarcia-bg7gz]

that end of this song is just a prelude to "the one" song, is just beautiful

[@hidekazu1774]

この曲のリアクト動画は本当に稀だから嬉しかった。 この曲聞いても「おふざけメタル」と言えるのかな？

[@catface875]

Yeah. It's manufactured. But it's still awesome. Haha. You should see a music video. The girls have crazy choreography that adds another level of awesomeness.

[@rickwagner-]

I prefer "precision engineered" to "manufactured". : )

[@catface875]

@@rickwagner- haha

[@lennyg47]

@@rickwagner- "precision engineered" is certainly an appropriate description. But I prefer to imagine that "lovingly crafted as ordained by the Fox God" is how BabyMetal music comes into existence. :)

[@autohmae]

@@lennyg47 I've also used lovingly crafted in the past. But I added other words: lovingly hand crafted with love and respect for the genre and music in general. :-)

[@martinmetal7481]

All the descriptions sound about right to me but descriptions thought of by the fans love of the band . 🤘😁🤘

[@jimmyyfy]

If I would suggest a song that I would consider to be the most "interesting" to listen to I'd recomment YAVA! or Syncopation - both from their second album aswell. I don't want to spoil anything but they are pretty unique. If you'd want a more "genre confined" song thats still very interesting I'd pick Rondo of Nightmare. And if you just want the pop/kawaii/metal shock value that ultimately made them famous go for Gimme Chocolate, Doki Doki Morning or maybe even Karate. I'm way less firm in my knowledge of music but I simply LOVE what BABYMETAL does. Pretty much every song has a different theme/influence besides some recurring, pretty much pure power metal songs. You never know what the next songs brings when listening to their discography for the first time.

[@RetiredInThailand]

Lol, they also perform this song live, and the girls perform choreographed dance routines while singing!!!

[@VicJang]

My dude hasn’t even seen the girls dance and was already impressed. :D

[@RikoJAmado]

I have to say I really enjoy the actual musical knowledge that you bring to your reaction. All too often, people who are musically trained bring forth their technical babble and come off sounding high brow and pretentious to those of us who are pretty tone deaf. But I really enjoyed your breakdown and glad you've discovered BABYMETAL. Welcome to the one!

[@steenbronkegmail1]

TALES OF THE DESTINIES (eng below) Un ga nai! Tsuite nai! Kotae wa itsu mo shikata nai shoo ga nai! Nai na nai nai na nai! Are ja nai! Kore ja nai! Kotae wa doko ni? nai! nai! nai! nai! Nai na nai nai na nai nai na nai! DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY! aa umare kawaru. COUNT DOWN hajimete ikoo yo. SET ME FREE! THREE, TWO, ONE, THREE, TWO, ONE, ZERO? THREE, TWO, ONE, THREE, TWO, ONE, ZERO? Tomara-nai [tomara-nai] owara-nai [owara-nai] kagiri nai merodii [merodii]. Bokura wa [bokura wa] furimuka-nai. NOW AND FOREVER towa no memorii. THE ONE WILL BE WITH YOU. Warera ga THE DESTINIES. Dame ja nai? Dame ja nai! Nai nai nai nai! Muri ja nai? Muri ja nai! Yume ja nai? Yume ja nai! Nai nai nai nai! Ima ja nai? Ima ja nai! CAN'T STOP ME, CAN'T STOP ME NOW. ima hajimaru. THE BIG CHANCE neratte ikoo yo. GET READY! THREE, TWO, ONE, THREE, TWO, ONE, ZERO? THREE, TWO, ONE, THREE, TWO, ONE, ZERO? Tomara-nai [tomara-nai] owara-nai [owara-nai] hateshi nai jaanii [jaanii]. Bokura wa [bokura wa] hitori ja nai. NOW AND FOREVER sore ga desutinii. THE ONE WILL BE WITH YOU. --------------------------------- We have no luck! We are unlucky! Our answer is always "We can't help it!" "It can't be helped!". No, no, no, no! That is not it! This is not it! Where is the answer? Nowhere! Nowhere! Nowhere! Nowhere! No, no, no, no, no, no! Don't worry, don't worry! Now we're going to reborn. Let's begin the countdown! Set me free! Three, two, one, three, two, one, zero? Three, two, one, three, two, one, zero? It never stops. It never ends. It's an unlimited melody. We never look back. Now and Forever, it is our eternal memory. THE ONE will be with you. We are The Destinies. Isn't it useless? It's not useless! No, no, no, no! Isn't it impossible? It's not impossible! Isn't it a dream? It's not a dream! No, no, no, no! Isn't it now? It's not now! Can't stop me, can't stop me now. Now it starts. Let's aim at the big chance! Get ready! Three, two, one, three, two, one, zero? Three, two, one, three, two, one, zero? It never stops. It never ends. It's an endless journey. We're not alone. Now and Forever, it is our destiny. THE ONE will be with you. We are The Destinies.

[@HellenKillerProject]

Babymetal is an awesome project. None of the live musicians are steady and are swapped out pretty regularly. The most frequent were BOH on Bass, Mikio Fujioka (RIP) Guitar, Takayoshi Ohmura on Guitar. LEDA and Isaio (SP) were also on guitars as well as other bass players. The band is the KAMI Band and the last tour the guys from Galactic Empire were the guitars and bass. One of the singers left over illness. There are so many live tracks you can see. They do rely on backing tracks a lot in a live show. They do a fairly amazing if short set and when the guys get to play they all smoke it up. Check out Mikio in Harmony X or solo, or Takayoshi with Live Moon and the BOH bass demonstrations. There is also a cut called Takayoshi Ohmura (band solo) where the girls are not there. Herman Lee from Dragonforce was instrumentalist /writer on a few songs and the latest album has a lot of guest appearances. they can swap genres like House/Thrash/Nu-metal/Hip hop/Reggae all in the same song .. like in Iine Two ii's in front the ne .. EE-nay .. Anyways they have a solid catalog but they do not compose and the Moa/Yui are the only two that have had writing credits for "song for 4" 4 no Uta good job and check them out. LIV MOON is something to see as Phantom of the Opera or Hearts "Alone". Still trying to dare someone to do that. By now you know Band-Maid and to me they are a good comparison to RUSH, very Prog Rock ..

[@adambrown9654]

Babymetal's history is complex and extensive, but long story short, I'd say the band is a mix of manufactured pop and true metal passion. The girls started at a very young age and came from the idol scene, which is indeed manufactured. They had no idea what metal was when they were recruited for the project. However, they were still hard workers as their budget was slim. And as they grew, they demonstrated a genuine passion for the music they performed, as if they were taken on a journey through metal. And after a decade they're still going, giving their all on every concert (minus Yui, who left the group for personal and health reasons). If it was just a fad, if the girls didn't truly love what they do, the group would be over long ago.

[@Of_the_House_of_Black]

This song is supposed to represent a battle between good and evil. The music and vocals represent that. The this song and the next (The One) were originally supposed to be one song. I believe they were separated because of the length. The two songs represent the battle and then peace. Thank you for reviewing this song.

[@samvittighedsfuld7586]

Shows how much I know about metal. I just get arcade nostalgia whenever i listen to this amazing number. It's like someone took a pinball machine and turned it into a song, and I love that.

[@ttakenaka2001]

I love BABYMETAL so much. Yes it is highly manufactured unit but not a traditional high schoolkids garage band spanned out. But so what? It is still working very well and shakes audiences hearts strongly. It is highly engineered to be successful and casted with top class artists, idols, composers, poets orchestrated by one of the top Japanese entertainment talent agency's master mind producer KOBAMETAL and his staff. And difference with other record company made popstar groups and BABYMETAL was that this producer did not do just his job in his office for his salary, but himself was the hardcore heavy metal mania well-known in his industry for long time and this is not "just a job" for him but his lifework & dream. KOBA has unpickable taste and great connections in the industry. And his company AMUSE is listed company at Tokyo stock exchange but not one of small talent offices... I think while KOBA is the master mind of his project BABYMETAL, even if all consisting members were changed, this project will keep going on for sure. (The mater of the fact, few key members were already changed tragically and they run the 2019 US tour with full American Kami band instead of original Japanese Kami Band that had been consisted with the members from Japanese MI connections ( MI in Japan was a spanned out of MI CA but owned by Japanese Electric Guitar manufacturer ESP... the original Kami Band was consisted with the Japanese MI alumina and their music professors or their friends. ) Yes KOBA and his staff is the FOXGOD and they had designed BABYMETAL with their love, money, power and typical Japanese industrial precision manufacturing process that hard to be find the tie in the natural caused lucky results of the high school friends band.....

[@fitzdraco]

Check out the live version of "Catch me if you can" Full live compilation. The guitarist and the bass player are goofing off during the opening and they have some serious skills.

[@steenbronkegmail1]

You should hea "Rondo of Nightmare" from Babymetal that's technical...

[@antoinewalker9393]

I'm glad you reacted to this. Think of babymetal as an experimental band. They pick a sound/genre and combine it with metal stuff and jpop vocals. Tales of the Destinies is dream theater + babymetal. My suggestions would be Megitsune (Japanese folk pop + babymetal), Shanti Shanti Shanti (Indian + babymetal), Road of Resistance (Dragonforce + babymetal), and Iine (the most wtf mish mash song they have).

[@karend1577]

My first time to hear this song of theirs. The technical stuff flew right over my head but I still enjoyed what you had to say.... May I request a reaction to a Chinese singer Hua Chenyu and his song "Nunchucks." He sang this in The Singer 2018 competition among other singing professionals.

[@xhectichectorx]

This is on of the smartest Babymetal breakdowns I've seen. You sir know what the hell you're talking about. Keep up the amazing videos.

[@oes2546]

Mikio Fujioka was a little guitar god. RIP.

[@waxilliamladrian]

If you want a weird mesh of genres, you should give their song Shanti Shanti Shanti a go as it also includes Bollywood influences and it all works super well together

[@Jed-qi8wo]

Rondo of Nightmare with Mischefs of gods intro. 🤘🦊🤘

[@nateaurand1601]

Yes it does go into the next song. This is actually not a typical example of their music. It is one of my favorites by them. If you want a fan recommendation that isn't Gimme Chocolate or whatever, check out Headbanger, Gj, YAVA!, Onedari Daisakusen, Kagerou, Shine or Arkadia

[@phillipgregory9671]

It ended that way because the song goes straight into the one.they go together like we will rock u and we are the champions

[@markmckeown87]

Live versions are always so much better. I'm happy you went with something different, I'm also sick of people suggesting Road of Resistance too. So many other good songs.

[@outwest1014]

You have a band composed of Japan's best session musicians, fronted at the start by 3 cute talented girls, now beautiful young women. Too many metal bands are just hairy old men screaming with bands with very uneven musicianship. When Babymetal performed at Sonisphere 2014, the girls with their singing/dancing and their superb band, the metalhead audience never had a chance. They set a new record for tee shirt sales. Not bad for teenagers. Check Megitsune an early video, TEST question when does Su-Metal say "Maidens are not to be underestimated."

[@autohmae]

They definitely did sell a lot of shirts at Sonisphere, but the sales record we know about is from Wembley Arena some 2 years later.

[@helsiclife]

This was incredibly informative and interesting

[@adambrown9654]

Great reaction by the way, earned a sub. Heck, I'll even click the bell button.

[@djnaadowanyakumulator3526]

12:41 yeah speaking of Syncopation, they have a song called just that and it's good, strongly recommended for a reaction

[@dulanjala]

i really thought i was only one who picks music like you said... Glad to know i wasn't alone....

[@VladimirChupin]

It actually sounds a lot like Yes to me. It even ends exactly on the same note as Fragile album starts 😁

[@zakiasakura6481]

Yes, it does continues to the next song, called "The One".

[@Singulitarian]

Precision engineered group.

[@autohmae]

Japanese precision engineered group with a consciousness and respect of the tradition, history of the genre and music in general . :-)

[@0okamino]

Manufactured? More like precision engineered, and lovingly crafted. ;) Better composition than Dream Theater? Well, that may be considered a hot take by some, but eventually the student should become the master, right? I'd say save _Gimme Chocolate_ until you're in the mood for something pretty fluffy. I think you'll find a lot of their stuff interesting in its fusion aspects, though. You definitely hit the jackpot as a composer with _Tales of the Destinies,_ and I hope we'll get to see you check out it's continuation _The One_ before long.

[@SamuraiChris78]

They are in part manufactured, but the musicians behind Babymetal known as the Kami Band are legit musicians and are amazing! The girls put on a show that in my humble opinion is the best in the business!

[@kiprockwood5232]

For a random choice to see what the band is made of that was a perfect landing spot

[@elementofharmony458]

Thanks Fox God for giving that random number generator the right push to this musical masterpiece.

[@ndox9009]

their craftsmen in making the song is top level , pop and metal plus 3 or 4 genre mix together and they sill make it sound awesome but this studio version is nothing compare the live version , the different is like night and day and that's a fact.

[@allahbless2278]

Love your RNG this is my all time fav Babymetal song. Been a fan for years and even went to their concert on Chicago

[@lennyg47]

First.... Love your idea to random pick a first BabyMetal song. I hope you keep going with it. Second... Welcome to the foxhole. Welcome to The One. Always more BabyMetal forever! :)

[@Bones12x2]

I love this song and as incredible as the kami bands performance is, I dont think the girls actually get enough credit for it. Especially live. It hasnt been performed much live but for teenage girls with an almost exclusively pop based background to be able to perform a song like this live while having to dance with precise choreography and sing with all the tempo changes is pretty incredible. Thr kamis have been playing prog and other technical music for as long as thr girls have been alive, so its nothing new for them. But to have literal high school girls pull off a song like this in front of 55k people at the Tokyo Dome is kinda insane.

[@LtSlapnutz]

TOTD was hell of a song the random result! It is probably the 'most complex' BM song with regards to time sigs and such, BUT they still have heaps of great songs both simple and complex. 1) Try to check out this same song in their Live at Tokyo Dome version, it has the same piano ending live that just beautifully transitions into the next song The One. For the 'full impact' I strongly recommend watching both songs live together. The piano section seemed to stand out for you. Can be found here www.dailymotion.com/video/x5ggoil (BUT don't include the audio or you will be © striked!, just do mute and sync. BM fans are used to watching reactions that way) 2) Rondo of Nightmare with Mischief of the Gods intro. This one is more just a really REALLY solid maturely written BM song, not as complex but still with slightly odd time sigs. Cheers!

[@metalj8681]

ボヘミアンラプソディーに匹敵する名曲だと思う。

[@Shadyguy111]

If you want more Babymetal, I would recommend Rondo of Nightmare live with the intro.

[@seancass7775]

please check out a live performance from them, you won't be disappointed they don't write their own music, they are somewhat "manufactured" in origin. but over the years they, as a whole, have come together to really forge their own path and function as a single force.

[@Bones12x2]

You should react to Syncopation from BABYMETAL next. Its another super underrated song that nobody reacts to. I think its one of their most well written songs but it was only on the Japanese album release, so it gets kinda forgotten by many. It isnt nearly as proggy as this song but it is very well composed

[@Noobshire]

Almost Zappa-esque when the vocals came back in the middle.

[@marcelopinheiro5557]

Hail, from Brasil. I liked it a lot. You've chosen one's of their best. Good choice. "Syncopation" could be the next, or "From Dusk till Dawn". Sorry for the English. Congratulations.

[@sirmoonslosthismind]

babymetal is a group of 2 (previously 3) female members that has existed for 10 years now: su-metal (lead vocalist, also does choreography) was 12 when babymetal started and is now 22. moametal (lead dancer, also contributes vocals tho) was 10 when babymetal started and is now 21. yuimetal (co-lead dancer, also contributed vocals when she was around) was 10 when babymetal started but left in 2018 due to undisclosed medical issues. "i think i understand"

[@derdurzo6478]

Still waiting for part three xD I think you would like In The Name Of from their new album.

[@bonhzeppelin9882]

A very profound, articulate review mate! I think the next song you might enjoy although not as sophisticated or complex as Tales Of The Destinies is --- From Dusk To Dawn. It sounds proggy to me mate. Cheers!

[@AnotherPostcard]

Oh and when they recorded this, Su-Metal, the singer, was pretty young. She's gotten better over the years. :)

[@k-popplayinklown5473]

You should really do road of resistance maybe save gimme chocolate for like 10 songs in Glad you started with tales

[@includenull]

Every song by BABYMETAL is different, very nice to see a reaction to one that I don't think anyone else has, but this song is certainly one that is very "out there".

[@Jo-zq8vt]

there's actually a next song after this. " THE ONE "

[@daugiens]

the last piano part is the tune of their song " the one "

[@peccatumDei]

One of my personal favorites from Babynetal is The One, from the 2016 album Metal Resistance. And yes, there is a video, but the performance is very different, as there is virtually no choreography..

[@ricdale7813]

Im pretty sure Leda is the Primary guitar composer. But I believe their is a team of writers that work for BM. And their grasp of Music Theory is Astounding.

[@firdaruddin1012]

And don't forget about Rondo of Nightmare as well. Also by them.

[@Wombatmetal]

Babymetal is manufactured technically. The producer, Kei Kobayashi (who is also responsible for this song) is a big metalhead, heard Suzuka Nakamoto singing, and thought her voice was wasted on pop, and came up with Babymetal. He built the group around Su, and and they did a couple of songs as experiments, as part of a Mickey Mouse style idol group Sakura Gakuin. No expectations, but Babymetal took off. So it was manufactured in the sense it was assembled by a producer, but it wasn't meant to be a cash grab at the start- the girls had to borrow clothes from friends and teachers to make costumes. Humble roots.

[@autohmae]

Not a big surprise because 12 year old girls don't usually start metal bands. :-)

[@Wombatmetal]

​@@autohmae Agreed. And if you think about it, Koba was a music producer who loved metal and found himself working with teenage girls making songs like Verishuvi. When he had a student like Su come along Babymetal is just a natural progression. Calling it manufactured implies calculated, and it wasn't at all, it was simply producer who loved metal was working with girl with big voice. And who's dad was bassist in a rock band for 10 years. It seems very organic to me. But then I am in the foxhole so may be biased.

[@autohmae]

@@Wombatmetal we are definitely bias, but I think we are also right. ;-) I've not seen any evidence he worked on Verishuvi. Might be interesting to know the timeline: he already had heard about Suzuka when she was still in Karen Girl''s, in that sense it was calculated, he saw her talent and thought: "I need want to work with her". So herworked for years to try and find a way to work with her. Before SG exists, Mini-Pati already existed, he was working on that project. Suzuka ones performed with Mini-Pati after Karen Girl's had ended. I'm 100% convinced he suggested that, because he wanted to see what it's like to work with her. :-) Actually he might have already worked with her or seen what it's like for the last Karen Girl's concert, because Mini-Pati was the opening group for them and performed together the last song.

[@Wombatmetal]

@@autohmae I don't know he worked on Verishuvi either, but he was working on stuff like that. Sorry I was vague. And I know he saw Su in Karen Girl's and had the concept, but I have the feeling it was about making music, not that we're going to exploit these young ladies and get rich, which you see a lot of in KPop and JPop

[@autohmae]

@@Wombatmetal ohh, yeah, I have a simple way to explain that: he came from the bands side of the company. Thus his instinct wasn't to come up with a concept and get some girls to fill the spots. He went the other way around: found the talent and create something around that.

[@gaplauche]

You can watch the only live performance of Tales of the Destinies followed by The One here: www.dailymotion.com/video/x5ggoil. It's a sight to behold, and they somehow manage to synchronize dance choreography to the music and singing. The most prog-metal song on their new album, Metal Galaxy, is Brand New Day. It features Polyphia guitarists Tim Henson and Scott LePage.

[@andrewlopez1906]

I would also not recommend Gimme Choco, at all or like Grington and others said after having listened to others first. This one isn't a favorite, because it does feel all over the place *(even for Babymetal) but I'm glad to see you enjoyed your first experience. The suggestions in the comments are all good, Syncopation, Rondo of Nightmare etc maybe I'd add Brand New Day or BxMxC from the new album. The band has always been one surprise after another

[@autohmae]

In the early days, Band-Maid didn't operate on their own. Just putting it out there. ;-)

[@beneto7582]

I am watching this reaction video nearly every week since it's release and I hope you will do react a third time to one of their songs.

[@lookandlisten5740]

You have gotta check out live vids of "Rondo of Nightmare" with intro.. and "Road of Resistance" .. you will not be disappointed !

[@jason7120]

Road of Resistance Live in Japan will blow you away. It's not as commercial as you would think.

[@JGM0JGM]

They made you smile, mission accomplished! Kitsune up, Po!

[@paulbenwell3560]

Everyone will say this but worth repeating. 1) Every BABYMETAL song is different - and I do mean different. Style, composition, homage to other bands... If you do not like one song try another 2) The Backing band (Kami band) is made up of some of the best Japanese session musicians 3) WATCH THEM LIVE. This is the most important thing. They are a live visual band. Most of their song videos released are live versions from concerts because (well when you see you will know why). Road of Resistance - Live in Japan is considered one of the finest live shows.

[@raycollins511]

This song so much better live from tokyo dome 2016. Only time they did this live if i am not mistaken. It goes right into the one.

[@autohmae]

Yep, only time live. I think we know why, it's not an easy song. :-)

[@PittDaddy]

This is one of my favorite songs of theirs. If you want to see this live, check out the Daily Motion video. www.dailymotion.com/video/x5ggoil. Unfortunately, you can't stream it with your reaction.

[@paulbenwell3560]

BABYMETAL is 2 girls (formerly 3) - Su-metal and Moametal (Yuimetal offically left in Nov 2018 though had been missing for a year before that). The backing band is called the Kami band is made up of some of the best Japanese session musicians (and has pretty much been the same group of guys since 2014). BM do not write their own songs.

[@Brooke-rw8rc]

GIve Me Chocolate is recommended because it's... the most blatant example of their style. Loud, aggressive metal music, and extremely saccharine vocals. Road to Resistance is recommended because it's an epic live set piece. The next most common recommendation will be Karate. Either the official video because it has some pretty awesome visuals, or the live version from Download festival because of how it showcases their live talent and Su-Metal's amazing crowd control and presence. Their Download appearance is actually a really cool story, too. One of the creators of Download hard-vetoed BabyMetal and said they'd never play Download. Then another band invited them on as a guest during their set on a side stage. The response was so overwhelming that BabyMetal played the main stage the very next year. The entire CONCEPT of Babymetal is a "marketing decision". Trying to avoid that is you missing the point in this case.

[@SuMetalAreQueen]

The name of the genius behind Babymetal and KAMI BAND is KEY KOBAYASHI OR KOBAMETAL. Try Arkadia live proshot... It's as complex as Tales of Destinies and it could only have come out of that perfect mind. I think its power comes from the Mustache given by Fox God.