Babymetal - Rondo Of Nightmare REACTION & REVIEW! FIRST TIME HEARING!

[@THEDavidHeretic]

So apparently, this video dropped on Su-Metal's birthday. FOLKS....I swear, I had no idea. This was a TOTAL and COMPLETE coincidence. Glad it happened, but I swear I did not plan it.

[@ErnestRamos]

Shhh! Pretend it was all according to plan! 🤣

[@michelm.6033]

Only the Fox God Knows! Secret……. The ONE will get it. Nice coincidence.

[@AwesomeKazuaki]

"COMPLETE coincidence" Okay! 🤣 Suzuka, Did read? Happy birthday Suzuka 🌹

[@erickaguilar4659]

Not a coincidence, you're just following the designs of the Fox God 🦊

[@caribi8724]

Suzuka just logged into her mind.

[@rickwagner-]

⚡ / 🔥 😱 🔥 Not only is Su brave enough to sing and dance on a tiny elevated platform in the dark, but she also has the total fearlessness needed to follow those incredible solos from the Kami Band. That's not just any seven stringer that Takayoshi Ohmura was playing. It's an ESP Ohmura Custom Snapper 7, one of his signature guitars. The first guitarist, Leda Cygnus has had an ESP signature model, but is best known for playing one of his Strandberg signature guitars. The bassist BOH is rocking a six stringed BOH custom model from Atelier Z. He has mentioned Billy Sheehan and Victor Wooten as big influences. This song had its world debut the night before, at the Budokan Red Night show. Su performed three solos at this Budokan Black Night concert, including 'No Rain, No Rainbow', followed by 'Akatsuki' earlier in the set. The two younger girls, Yui and Moa (as Black BABYMETAL) did two songs without Su that night ('4 no Uta' and 'Onedari Daisakusen'), and of course they performed a bunch of songs together. The way those shows were setup allowed Yui and Moa to take a break during Su's solo songs, and Su to have a break during the Black BABYMETAL songs. Yui and Moa have talked about how much they enjoyed listening to Su's solos from backstage. : ) That Black Night Budokan concert from March 2014 is still one of my favorite concerts of all time.

[@RaginKavu]

There's G.J. and Sis. Anger too. Just had to add them. Sis. Anger is by far the heaviest BM (actually BBM ^^') song IMO. BMC is a second close. 🤘🏻🦊🤘🏻

[@caribi8724]

Super fan! 🤘🏻🦊

[@BlackArr0w]

@@RaginKavu Well, probably BabyMetal death Shin ver. they recently used at Budokan is even heavier xD

[@RaginKavu]

@@BlackArr0w Yeah. There's that version. I watched the 1st time they streamed it, and it was awesome. Need to find it and re listen

[@Grington300]

Great reaction and analysis. With regards to BOH, his hero when he was taking up the bass was Billy Sheehan - and yes he plays jazz fusion when left to his own devices. I think his own band or project, the Kari Band, has probably already been mentioned in the comments - you would probably enjoy that a lot. The two shows, Red Night and Black Night, at the Budokan were early March 2014 and these were the shows where the Kami Band became the full time backing band for BABYMETAL. Up until then they'd played some festivals and the encores in some shows, but it was from here on they have played every live performance ever since (the Kami Band of the West complicates things a bit, but they are all Kamis). Su was only 16 when she gave this performance - it was her 24th birthday yesterday. 'Rondo of Nightmare' is possibly their darkest song lyrically. Su is caught in a recurring nightmare (they borrowed the musical term rondo, being a repeated theme, to emphasise the nightmare is a recurring one) being chased through the dark by something she can't see. Finally she hides in or by a fountain or a well (this was the part where she looks like she is floating and just hanging, broken) but whatever it is that has been chasing her is still coming closer and, accepting there is no escape she asks that if she is to die won't it at least show itself to her first. Unlike the choreography in the songs where all 3 girls are involved, Su-metal's choreography in her solo songs is, I believe, mostly her own instinct. I can't find the quote from their choreographer now, but she said something like Su is a one of a kind or extraordinary. Where most dancers count the beat Su just goes with the music and it moves her. She has said to her that she liked what she did at a given part of the song asking why she did it and Su doesn't know or even remember what she did. For me I'd say that 'Shine' at the Legend M concert (Moametal's 20th birthday in July 2019) is Su-metal's best vocal performance so far. My favourite of her solo songs is probably 'Amore' - but they are so hard to separate - the emotion she conveys in 'No Rain, No Rainbow' at the Legend S concert in particular gets me every time I watch it even though I'm not really into power ballads, which that song is.

[@mikepowers9486]

Absolutely agree with Shine and No Rain, No Rainbow on both those to exact performances. I can't get enough of either of them. I am very interested in seeing his thoughts on those two songs. I can't wait until he does a Black BABYMETAL song though. That will be..... interesting.

[@Grington300]

@@mikepowers9486 Yes ... interesting is the right word I think.

[@michelm.6033]

Outstanding comment, or portion of that really turned on the lightbulb for me. I’ve always felt there was something in Su’s choreography that was different. As Mikiko Mizuno, one of the worlds greatest choreographer’s points out the music (or feel) versus the standard timing employed by most dancers; well it just all fits together. I’d never been able to describe Su’s dancing, or my feelings before reading your/her comment, here for the first time. Props.

[@autohmae]

The interview you are looking for is: Mikiko interview Hedoban vol.1 on Reddit the title of the translation has: new dance style in the title. The Funnytoss translation covers the whole interview, his title is: 2013 Hedoban #1 MIKIKOMETAL Interview.

[@Grington300]

@@autohmae Brilliant, thanks.

[@ThePiquet888]

You know David.. your reactions are quite unique in that, unless you are amazingly skilled, you cannot fake the way you 'red face' when you get emotional and really get invested and involved in a reaction. You are one of the most unique person's I have seen on the reaction scene and you obviously bring a well schooled perspective, involving passion, experience, knowledge and overall an incredible luv of music. Your take, is one of a kind, and I've enjoyed quite a few of your vids. Keep going hard my friend!

[@THEDavidHeretic]

FEELIN' YOU Piquet!!!

[@graxusgaming9889]

Couldn't of said it any better, I was thinking all the same thoughts after watching this video. I have watched a ton of BM reaction videos and this was so enjoyable to watch and one of the best BM reactions I've seen. You seriously know your music and what you are talking about big time. Definitely gained a new subscriber here and will be watching a bunch of your videos, for sure watching the RoR video next! Thanks for this!🦊🤘

[@athlonen]

Oh, so much to talk about on this! First, BOH. Yes, he's Jazz trained. You named every single one of his influences, save Billy Sheehan. One of his other side projects outside of Babymetal's Kami Band (along with Babymetal's two drummers, Hideki Aoyama and Yuya meta) is a group called Kari Band. They are a rock/jazz/fusion project, along with one of Babymetal's guitarists, Mikio Fujioka (RIP). Mikio played the Red night here as opposed to Black night, where Leda Cygnus (blue ESP M-series guitar) played on this video. Takayoshi Ohmura (7-string ESP Snapper - his signature series) is the other guitarists here, and not only is his instructor Mikio Fujioka himself, but he's the protege of another great guitarist - Marty Freidman. Yes, that Marty Friedman of Megadeth. Needless to say, they are all legit, and the best I've seen over the past 15 years. I mean, imagine this group of 4 together with the ladies from LoveBites. That's why Japan is kicking everyone's asses and is one of the places that is saving metal right now. As for the stage? All of that is the idea of the guy that put Babymetal together, Key Kobayashi (KOBAMETAL). He put together the idol group, Sakura Gakuin, where Babymetal came from, and is a huge Metallica fan, and that is where he got the idea of meshing Japanese idol music with metal, and thus a new style was born - BabyMetal. Note that the stage is created with the emblem of the next video you're scheduled to react to: Babymetal DEATH. You'll see where that comes in. Oh.. and if you think this stage is impressive, wait until you see their show at Tokyo Dome. That stage and show makes Budokan look tame. About the song. You love time changes, right? Well, a listen again.. When Rondo of Nightmare begins after Mischief of the Metal Gods (the intro), the beginning of the song switches between 7/8 and 8/8, until you get to the verse, which is in 6/8. Then the prechorus (when the band drops out) and chorus is all in 3/4, putting the entire song into a waltz. The waltz is even more accentuated by Su-Metal's dancing in the chorus. They go back to 6/8 for the 2nd verse, then leading into and through the breakdown is all 4/4. The back to 6/8 for the last verse and chorus, where they end how they started, back switching between 7/8 and 8/8. As for Su's singing.. This is Babymetal's allegorically darkest song. It's about someone who is having a never-ending nightmare (Rondo of Nightmare) where an evil being (use your imagination) is chasing her in a dream, and she can't wake up. Like an Alice in Wonderland type dream, but darker. What makes it even more interesting is that not only is she dancing a waltz above the band, but the elevated stage isn't what is spinning; the band is spinning around her. And one thing that completely gets everyone.. After the breakdown and it's just Su and the piano, there is no vocal effect. Everyone thinks that it's a Lo-Fi effect that was added, but it isn't. She's singing NASALLY. The microphone is pushed up further towards her nose, and if you close off the passage at the back of your throat (like you're talking like a nerd or so), and talk out of your nose, that is what she is doing here. She's singing through her nose to get that effect, and the microphone is picking it up. Finally, note that this is a Su-Metal only performance. Babymetal has two different shows inside the show: The Queen (Su-Metal, Yui and Moa take a break), and Black BabyMetal (Yui and Moa, Su takes a break). Black Babymetal get the heaviest songs, while Su is the Metal Queen. Mischief of the Metal Gods can be taken to be the performance that summons the Metal Queen, which is what you've seen here. Since Babymetal DEATH is already on your list, after that I'd say to react to Sis Anger, which is a Black Babymetal performance, then a live performance (and NOT A PRO SHOT) of Tales of the Destinies. You will be impressed with that one.

[@michelm.6033]

Nice breakdown and great knowledge.

[@autohmae]

The round stage at Tokyo Dome is actually a tribute to their Budokan round stage/show. 🙂

[@ErnestRamos]

I count this differently. I do agree you can count it like that, but from the drummer's groove, the intro is in 4/4 - 3/4 - 4/4 - 4/4 feel. I count it this way because that's how the double kick pattern would make sense to me. I love that little 3/4 measure since it breaks up the groove and gives it an unsettling feeling which adds to the song's emotion. The verse is in 3/4 on the drums while everyone else is on 6/8. The love version is slightly simplified on the drums where he plays the snare on the 3, but on the album he alternates this with a waltz pattern with the snare on the 2 and 3. The chorus is 6/8.

[@athlonen]

@@ErnestRamos Where I'm getting 7/8 and 8/8 from is where he's hitting the cymbals during the intro. If the cymbal hit is on 1, then the first measure has gone for 7 beats where the 8th note gets the beat. That repeats for the 2nd measure where you'd have 8/8 or even 4/4, so you could alternate between 7/8 and 4/4 there, as the cymbal hit would be the first beat of the measure. And you're right about the chorus. If going off of the kickdrum and snare, you'd be in 6/8. It could go either way, which is why it would be cool to see the guitar tab or sheet music for this.

[@ErnestRamos]

@@athlonen my count is from the kick+snare pattern. I think Takayoshi also said this is how he counts it. But yes it can definitely be counted as 7/8 - 8/8, but I will admit to having an aversion to counting in 8/8. So I guess you can count it as 4-3-4-4 in 170bpm or 7-8 at 85 bpm. The verse in my head will always be in 3/4 though, especially in the album version. Su's click track is also in 3 but it's a simplified version just to help her get queued in.

[@facundogotmand8368]

"Who designed the stage?" Yui wanted to know it too after she fell off from there.

[@ErnestRamos]

Don't forget Moa's faceplant too.

[@buzzkill2905]

Ok… I feel bad cuz I laughed to much at this comment. Not that she fell but the punch line haha

[@drbenwaynewyersy9976]

nearly forgot.... I can explain the lyrics of the song, if you like.... it's about a girl/young woman running through a dark forest in the dead of night.... she's chased by an evil spirit/demon.... she tries to get away or hide but every time the spirit finds her.... finally, she hides in a pool a water.... but again the demon finds her, staring down at her while she's too affraid to come near the surface again... and with her dying breath she asks the demon's name, so she may at least know what it was that took her life so young....

[@manifesto52]

There aren't many of them out there but Babymetal is one of those few bands that must be experienced in concert.

[@A1000-b9s]

Can you explain the reason? If I'm not wrong, They have to be flawless or Something?

[@bonhzeppelin55]

@@A1000-b9s The Musicians including the choreography/dancers are Supremely flawless! Studio Musicians that Shred Guitars, Bass, Drum licks like it was 1980's Heavy Metal, except for the brilliant, hybridized mix of Jpop & Heavy Metal! So unique & ingenius we had to wait until 2013/2014 to hear their debut album Babymetal.

[@A1000-b9s]

@@bonhzeppelin55 yeah props to them, it's not What I'm into that much (I'm not The biggest fan of them) but What they do is Extremely impressive

[@PLF...]

@@A1000-b9s Its a vibe thing. Annoying thing is though that they use a different band on some tours, especially in Europe. They wear Predator masks. The Kami band (these guys in the white) are huge though, would love to see them live.

[@F1rstWorldNomaD]

Su is my second favorit female vocalist of all time, after Floor Jansen. Its kinda weird cuz as good as Su is, shes not really close in skill and technique to alot of other vocalists... But there is something to her that elevates her above the rest, a purity, an "honesty" and sincerity in her sound. I cant pin down exactly what, I just know I prefer her over anyone else except Floor. And I think the only reason Floor is above Su is because Floor also have those same qualitues on top of her top tier skill and technique. Su is also among the cutest girls Ive ever seen but Ive concluded that DOESNT affect my judgement or Simone Simons would br my all time favorit, all categories. I was, and probably low key still is, in love with that woman

[@williamvesey3679]

Re "her hand motions," Suzuka Nakamoto is a graduate of the Actors School of Hiroshima and a graduate of a dance/idol group called Sakura Gakuin, so she has years of showmanship training.

[@goodkarma782]

I really really can't wait till you do Tales of Destinies, Arkadia and Amore. Absolutely brilliant compositions.

[@napalmwxcv]

Arkadia

[@kater123bln6]

Arkadia

[@c3host]

Perfect timing! 12/20… Su-Metal’s birthday!!!!!

[@THEDavidHeretic]

Seriously???

[@TheHouZeR88]

Oh man this is gonna be great. Been waiting for this. EDIT: This did not disappoint. This was fantastic.

[@Kelson64]

Su’s voice has matured so much, and in their most recent album with songs like “BxMxC” and “Shanti Shanti Shanti”, she does stuff vocally that she simply didn’t do in the earlier albums. Great review, and I really enjoyed your comments.

[@Brandon066362]

No Rain, No Rainbow is a solo ballad by Babymetal where Su-metal shines vocally as well. That's worth a look as well.

[@XenoBlaze-t9b]

if you decide to react to this song pls react to the "No Rain No Rainbow from Legend S Baptism XX".

[@ErnestRamos]

I requested this in Patreon too but I am only on Bronze tier so this is probably a few months at least away (unless someone higher up in the tiers requests this). David has some reservations on the official video version though since it might get blocked. That song seems to be blocked a fair bit judging how other reactors need to put a logo on top of the video for them to be able to post it.

[@johnnysal5635]

as long as its the Legend S Baptism XX one, but it might be a few videos away for him.

[@salesiocaritas8400]

QUEEN SU～お誕生日おめでとうございます。 神バンド、すごいね～！

[@Codametal]

Happy 24th birthday, Su-metal! You chose the perfect solo for her birthday. Well done. Yeah, everyone should watch Dave's RoR reaction. I've watched it like 10 times.... And it's not because I wanted to see David get 'emotional'. Ha ha!

[@alphasixty1316]

To me she is the best front in the business today.

[@mikepowers9486]

I told ya from a previous reaction that the Kami Band has their time to shine in a few songs like this. And that they all have great showmanship and personalities. You are correct. They show each other respect when they do their solos. These guys are all very close just like the girls are close to each other. As others have already said, Most of the Kami Band play together on other projects. Takayoshi Ohmura and Boh also have a KZbin channel together and are hilarious. Now in this performance, we didn't even get to see the "little God". Mikio (R.I.P) is Takayoshi Ohmura teacher and is just brilliant as well of course. Su.... Su is Queen and she absolutely shines here. Happy birthday Su! And again, you are correct, everything is strategic and planned down to the most minor thing. BABYMETAL and the entire team just knows how to do it. This will NOT be the last time you are blown away by BABYMETAL 🤘🦊🤘

[@crapstirrer]

Kari Band is a great little jazz group

[@benoitlandry9193]

Mikio was playing the day before, on Day 1 Red Night, march 1st, 2014.

[@mikepowers9486]

@@benoitlandry9193 Yeah I hope he gets to see Mikio play on another Kami intro soon though. Maybe for CMIYC or YAVA.

[@benoitlandry9193]

@@mikepowers9486 He will eventually see Mikio at the Legend S Baptism XX, during "No rain, No Rainbow".

[@TheBongReyes]

That’s why they’re called the Kami Band… Gods!!! The first guitarist is Leda, amazing musician. But you have to check out Mikio Fujioka…. He is literally a Kami, now. Members of the Kami Band are so loved & respected by BabyMetal fans. Can’t really think BabyMetal w/o the Kami Band.

[@HedayDrums]

You can see her 'conviction' a lot on song called 'NO RAIN, NO RAINBOW'. please react on this. Be sure to use「LEGEND - S - BAPTISM XX -」version.

[@MSIContent]

+1 on this. One of my top BABYMETAL tracks! 🤟🏻🤟🏻

[@jancmyon4240]

Great reaction I know that the Kami band would blow your mind. The fearlessness of Su-metal. Think about that, she is on a platform 2 meters wide 2 meters up, without any safety equipment. Lights on her face, there is no chance that she can see where she is standing. It's okay if you stand still, but she takes some dance moves and then there are the thing with your mind, it's playing with you when you know you are on an elevated platform. AND the night before, Yuimetal fell of the stage (not this elevated platform though) so she must have had that in her mind too. Kitsune up /yonmetal

[@jakemuller8626]

Thanks for your reaction and sorry for using to send a Happy Birthday to our queen SuMetal, this performance is a proof that she's totally queen since teenage, now she's a beautiful superlady ❤️ 🦊🤘

[@daimyoj9266]

Good to see you back in the comments.

[@jakemuller8626]

@@daimyoj9266 🦊🤘

[@Inosuke_Hashibira75]

🔥🦊🔥

[@THEDavidHeretic]

I swear I had no idea it was her birthday today, that was purely coincidence.

[@autohmae]

@@THEDavidHeretic Babymetal's lore says: "nothing happens by accident." So who knows 🙂

[@charly_tan]

People always give reactors the wrong name for the intro. It's actually called 'Mischiefs of the Metal Gods'.

[@markp1950]

Do yourself a favor. Listen to a full Babymetal concert. Babymetal in Las Vegas on YT. Also one in London. Turn the lights down and watch the full show just for enjoyment.

[@autohmae]

Thanks for doing this reaction ! The first guitarist is Leda Cygnus, he does a bunch of his own projects that aren't that well know. So not much to say about that. The second guitarist Ohmura plays/tours as the guitarist in Marty Friedman's band. Marty is the ex-guitarist of Megadeth. if you know anything about Marty Friedman, you'll know his playing is amazing and he obviously demands nothing less from the other guitarist in his band. Marty has been living in Japan for years and he was one of the first 'western' musicians to endorse Babymetal. About bassist BOH training/influence: his first big inspiration was Billy Sheehan. And his own band/project is a couple of the guys from Babymetal/Kami band together playing: Jazz fusion. The band is called: Kari Band. BOH even got to perform together with Billy, at... the same Budokan venue. The drummer Hideki is a second generation drummer, both him and his brother had a father who is a famous drummer in Japan. So he basically has drumming in his blood. 26:13 conveying a song is maybe her biggest talent. So I'm glad you catched that. As the choreographer that works with Babymetal says: "she never tries to dance like someone. Once music is on, she is someone." She performs by feeling the music, she doesn't count. Although this songs is performed with a click track, it's especially used on this song because it switches between 4 and 3. Yes, Babymetal is choreographed, but it's choreographed to fit her. The choreographer let her do her thing and then incorporated it in the final versions. And the dance is related to the lyrics, so it's literally is about enhancing the story. 35:25 the song is about a never ending nightmare, she is being chased by something, she doesn't know what. It seems at some point she needs to take a rest, she had been running, etc. the whole time. And she hides inside a well. Then realizes she painted herself in a corner because their is only one entry and thus exit from a well. Whatever is chasing her is probably close because she gives up and asks it to show itself because she expects to be killed. The part about the well is in that section with the effect on her voice. Just like your voice would sound different when you are in a well. Maybe she actually fell down the well and has broken bones ? 39:30 and we don't mind, she's only 16 years old at this performance after all. Possibly with her voice still changing from puberty where she has to change/adjust her way of singing over time. 40:19 some say the sudden ending is maybe waking up from the nightmare. I'm happy with the score. Was surprised you hardly talked about the lighting how it enhanced the performance.

[@utdowen7]

Excited for this one! Boh is a beast. The first time I’ve ever heard Bass and been genuinely in awe!

[@HarrisPropertyMaintenance]

I’ve almost always against reaction channels because their ether a laughing fest or watching a blank wall but the details you go into and explaining why you appreciated said detail I’m loving and been on a binge of ya channel, don’t ever change dude, you could put out a 2hr bud and I’d watch it.

[@THEDavidHeretic]

FEELIN' YOU Mining!!! Thank you for the kind words, I really appreciate them.

[@scullie69]

I’m so excited 🤘BabyMetal Rondo of Nightmare is lit 🔥🤘💯 BABYMETAL BxMxC turn it up 🤘

[@flugelhornoldman1362]

Great! & thanks again from Japan 有難う💛。I also appreciate your shout-out of my name. You are correct. The bassist BOH is a fusion musician in his own band (You can find a good and new video in KZbin with keywords [ kari band u/yeah!! ]). I cannot blame those naysayers. Even after I witnessed them live 10 times at different venues, I am still wondering whether the shows I actually saw and heard were real or not. Next song? How about "Kagerou" with instrumental intro not by East (Japanese) Kamis but by West (American) Kamis. Undulation of hefty sound emitted by the West Kami Band will impress you in a different way, I believe.

[@THEDavidHeretic]

@@michelm.6033 Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, Gary Hoey, Dream Theater, Rush, that kind of stuff.

[@Grington300]

@@THEDavidHeretic Dream Theater you say? 'Tales of the Destinies' is inspired by (pays tribute to?) DT's 'Dance of Eternity'. Played live just once - when they played the Tokyo Dome in 2016. You would need to use the link on the Babymetal Reactor Resource channel spreadsheet if you were to react to (or just wanted to watch) that one.

[@flugelhornoldman1362]

@@michelm.6033 Hi! Big-D guy! 😄 Of course, I like this kind of bluesy music and Tina S is very talented musician (I did not know her till today, thanks). The music I used to love most and I still love is old funk by Tower of Power, Malo, Seawind, Cold Blood and etc. with horn section. I played the trumpet part of their songs when I was a student. What surprised me most about BABYMETAL is the fact that I encountered and came to love the music without any horn sound. I am dreaming of BM performance with horn section from Tower of Power. Probably Grington or Rick may point out that there were already two occasions where BM performed with horn. Flea (Michael Balzary), a bassist of RHCP played trumpet in "Gimme Chocolate" on stage with the girls and BM's Latin song "Night Night Burn" has some digitally created horn parts.

[@THEDavidHeretic]

@@flugelhornoldman1362 I still dig on T.O.P....they know what hipness is.

[@flugelhornoldman1362]

@@THEDavidHeretic Thanks David. T.O.P is awesome. They like Japan and have come here many times to play. I enjoyed their shows as well as BABYMETAL's. I miss Francis Rocco Prestia (RIP) 😢

[@cofradehospitalet]

The song is about a Nightmare, in the part who she seems a broken doll, she is praying to the monster in her nightmare at least to know his name before she dies, cause she knows she can escape from him.

[@TrowaBarton1455]

Not sure if it has been mentioned, but you're right. They do seem as ghosts or spirits. The word "kami" in Japanese means God(s). So to me, it seems that they are spirits channeling the music of the band of the Gods. Best way to put it.

[@dbarcene]

The intro is called "Mischiefs of the Metal Gods" is a ritual performed by the gods of guitar, bass and drums, to unseal Su-Metal from a nightmare prision. Everything on the stage played into that story: The octagon, the position of the band members, their solos (the ritual), and finally Su, emerging from the center of the stage, has been awaken from her nightmare.

[@traylor2502]

Oh man, I have been waiting for this video for so long... Nothing better than professional musicians and seasoned metalheads dissecting BM songs, especially a masterpiece like this. I am sure you would enjoy watching BABYMETAL Death or Tales of the Destinies. I bet I would enjoy watching your reactions. Death is all about theatrics, TotD is... ragtime progmetal, but you didn't hear this from me ;)

[@malundy]

I always learn something from you reactions, David, but this is one of my favorites. Your obvious joy watching the performance really brought a smile to my face. I especially liked your analysis of the structure of the vocals. What she she was singing about didn't matter because you can appreciate the way she sings.

[@reggiealcalen1294]

Christmas came early! Was waiting to see this one! Also posted on SuMetals Birthday! Great reaction review!!! 🦊

[@homegnome2429]

The instrumental intro is extremely impressive.

[@stephendaniels4763]

When Tadayoshi Ohmura sprinkles fairy dust onto his guitar, he's adding the magic.

[@bonhzeppelin55]

Whoa!! How I missed this Great DH review I'll never know! I thought I saw a luke warm review of this by you, & I was ttly Mistaken! \🙄/ I was so relieved you enjoyed this song. It's a bit short but it's one of my top BM faves! Thanks for your music analysis! I wish you could do some music theory instruction//explaining on your channel! You're a True musician! Absolute Respect Mate!

[@zahidurrahman2869]

and yes, you're right ... the Bassist, Bohte Daisuke (aka- BOH), his favorite genre is Jazz

[@necromontys.]

ooohhhh yeeeees!!!! thanks thanks, need to see this!!! amazing, always fantastic reactions 💞🌺🌺💓💓💞💞❤️❤️❤️

[@patrykbl]

Happy Birthday to our queen Su-Metal. Great reaction.

[@THEDavidHeretic]

Is today really her birthday?

[@patrykbl]

​@@THEDavidHeretic Yes, today (20.12) Suzuka have 24th years old.

[@galdanag]

Great Reaction and Analysis... You put a lot of effort into your videos, it's such appreciated. It's nice to be able to learn some musical theory and being able to gain more appreciation for this fine music from watching your videos. I don't know what will be next in your BM journey, there are still a ton of performances to see and analyze.... Maybe watching them at a festival, with a more barebones stage. Ijime Dame Zettai, from Sonisphere UK would be a great option... With them away from their home crowd.

[@RaginKavu]

It's Mischief of the Gods. The band members are the Kamis, which can be translated as "spirits" like you said, or, more accurately, Gods. Every Babymetal live song that has an intro, has all of the Kami Band soloing ;) Rondo of Nightmare is about her having a persistent, well, nightmare, in which she's being pursued by an invisible monster. In that "broken doll part" she's been cornered by her pursuer, and she sings something along the lines "since I'm about to die, won't you at least show me your face?" Besides being a great technical singer and dancer, she's also a nice theatre actress! That's why she's good in playing the role, and she really interprets her lyrics. All that, alongside with her undeniable charisma, plus her monstrous stage presence, comes to make her our one and only Queen. 🤘🏻🦊🤘🏻

[@BlackArr0w]

The actual correct name of the intro is: Mischiefs of Metal Gods :)

[@martinmetal7481]

Kamis showing there are Gods of Metal , How do you follow that intro you send up a small 16 year old girl Who blows your socks off with her performance. We call her Queen for a good reason. Excellent review 🤘🦊🤘❤

[@kathleenandbruce]

My 1st exposure to Babymetal and I can honestly say that I'm pleasantly impressed. Only complaint is no lyrics so now damn idea what she is saying and watching her I want to know what she's saying.

[@autohmae]

The song is about a never ending nightmare she is trying to run away from something which is chasing her, she is running through forest, fields, etc. But she doesn't know what is chasing her. The section with the vocal effect she might be in a well where she is hiding.

[@kathleenandbruce]

Thanks, now the performance makes more sense. Now I can watch again and know a little more of what she is trying to convey.

[@kingkuroshiro6520]

here's the english trans: The waning moon has lit up the insanity rampant in the shade The laughter resounds around It bares its fangs and its eyes gleam I can’t escape from it It flickers slowly appearing and disappearing in my mind A nightmare rondo is being repeated The awakening light is gone far away out of my sight I can do nothing but run through the darkness In the woods, in the fountain I hide myself holding my breath but it’s still coming closer to me A stagnant voice. An endless night Ah… If I can no longer get out of here won’t you show me your figure? It flickers slowly appearing and disappearing in my mind A nightmare rondo is being repeated The awakening light is gone far away out of my sight I can do nothing but fall into the darkness

[@BlackArr0w]

Since you like Bass solos, you would definitely enjoy BabyMetal's song "Amore": It has a Bass solo inside the song, not as a separate intro! :D

[@daimyoj9266]

This is going to be awesome! The dark, ominous, urgent and unsettling feel to Rondo is a vibe. And this performance is pure fire... Enjoy, and thank you for the reaction. 🦊🤘🔥🖤

[@crimson0119]

Your comment about her singing with conviction, is the main reason I love her vocals. Plenty of singers has got vocal ranges (Floor, Tarja), but Su's got a great ability to make you feel what she's trying to convey in the song. Since you've reacted to mostly their harder stuff, checkout Akatsuki Unfinished or Tamashii No Rufuran.... watch her expressions and listen to the emotions in her voice....🤘🦊🤘

[@ThePiquet888]

I like your breakdown of the solo's, especially the drums. The guitar solo's speak for themselves. Others have said.. the drummer didn't quite seem as insane, compared to maybe the West Kami band drummer, but you recognised and explained why his solo was so good. Gave me a new insight into his drumming. Appreciated .. and what a song!!

[@Inosuke_Hashibira75]

Nice reaction. If you want to see more Kami band intro you have to check out Yava at big fox festival, catch me if you can, and Awadama fever. Another epic one to check out is Ijime Dame Zettai live at Sonisphere 2014 🔥🦊🔥

[@0babul0]

Those pig noises when you explain you don't care and it's your show, get me every time.

[@THEDavidHeretic]

You know I actually had some dude complain about them on this video? He called them stupid and pointless....and he's literally the only one in the history of the channel to complain about them.

[@0babul0]

@@THEDavidHeretic Well, everyone is going to be complaining about everything eventually. I think as long as it's not too frequent and not overly obnoxious, it's a nice break I think, especially in longer videos. You're not slamming these effects all the time, so it's not distracting at all I think. It serves a purpose and is intentional. If I imagine that without the noises, it would feel incomplete.

[@norbertbraun8219]

A babymetal fan that complains about pig sqeals? Next he'll have us chant sakura instead of kitsune... Merry christmas, btw!

[@kevinh4910]

@@THEDavidHereticlol😂

[@ヤマネユキオ]

That's a great analysis. I realized once again that singing on such a high and dark circular stage is very difficult. It's amazing that she seems to do it so easily.

[@Bill_Yarkakar_XVIII]

That tiny dip in her pitch occurred on the line that translates into "I can do nothing but fall into the darkness". Not only does it prove that she's really singing, it also kinda fits with the lyrics. No hate at all to you for pointing it out. As mentioned elsewhere in the comments, the song is about Su being caught in a recurring nightmare. I'm surprised that you didn't pick up the slightly wavering, frightened-sounding vibrato on her voice (maybe it's more apparent on the studio version, but I can still hear it here). 🤘🦊🤘

[@markluccioni9687]

The song is about her being trapped in a dream and being chased by an unseen monster. The rocking part I believe is her running, well that's how I see it.

[@sethwilliamson]

Speaking of Black/Red night, they did another set of shows called the Five Fox Festival that had restricted attendance: Black Fox -- Males-only show (1 night only) Red Fox -- Females-only show (1 night only) Gold Fox -- Teens-only show (1 night only) Silver Fox -- Elementary school children and 60+ show (3 nights) White Fox -- Corpse Paint Dress Code (3 nights)

[@JH-hh5jm]

Loved the enthusiasm in your reaction bro, epic

[@queenierani3076]

What a perfect time to release this reaction as The One around the world celebrated QUEEN Su 's 24th birthday yesterday. The Kamis or Gamis are Gods actually and not spirits. The Kamis line up here (in order of appearance) are Leda, Takayoshi Ohmura, Daisuke Bohte and Hideki Aoyama. Excellent reaction as usual. Kitsune dao

[@abelgolds5939]

Commenting as I'm watching so. This will be long. Ohmura is in my opinion the most showy of the Kamis! He always does gestures of faces at the fans, especially when the camera pans at him. He plays mostly ESPs, the glittery pink, golden and post 2018 Mikio's (not presented here) guitar. Leda is just... Leda. Very skilled. Very technical. But he enjoys being on stage despite being mostly focused on his parts. (He doesn't have a big media presence like the other Kamis so I doesn't really have an opinion.) BOH is a BEAST with that 6 string bass. I love the part when he's tapping and the other two clap to the beat. He actually is mostly involved in jazz. He's in a band with other past Kami drummer and once Mikio. Hideki is one of the best drummers out there with such stamina. He does such heavy drums for over an hour with barely any breaks. I love how you catch the things like the guitarists clapping or kneeling down during other solos. Another cool use of the stage was during Catch me if You Can and Headbanger. Though my favorite stages are Tokyo Dome, Legend S and Yokohama Arena concerts. Other people will tell you about the lyrics. It's a dark song about escaping a monster she can't see. Until she gives up. Also lets point out how she's a few feet in the air with all the lights in the face and has no security belt. And still does some choreo. And actually her solo choreo isn't as planned as the others. Also a very tiny detail. In this concert her in-ear monitors didn't fit well so she corrected it often. And the camera pans out during these moments. The moments she 'breaks down' lyrically as well is very up to debate whether its prerecorded, just an effect turned on during life, or its made by singing into the side of the mic (which one singer tried after seeing Su do it and kinda suceeded). Other songs that have intros are Catch Me if You Can, Yava and Kagerou (but a vid with West Kamis available on Babymetal Reactors Resource). I really recommend you to check out the Babymetal Reactors Resource channel as the spread sheet that is available in the first video has multiple songs from different perfomances. For recommendations I think iine (from the spreadsheet) or Ijime Dame Zettai from Sonisphere 2014 (on KZbin). Su has also Amore and No Rain No Rainbow. But I feel like you could check out Black Babymetal. Which is Moa and Yui. Onedari Daisakusen from Budokan 2014 would be the best choice. EDIT: Input from other commenters. I feel like Tales of the Destinies should be reacted to with The One first. Since they were originally one song and their into and outro merge together nicely. Both are Tokyo Dome performances on the spreadsheet. Arkadia is the last part of the Trilogy of Lights so Starlight and Shine respectively should be reacted to first.

[@BlackArr0w]

Just wanted to add that even it they didn't performed quite a lot like the other songs, also Awadama Fever sometimes had an instrumental intro :D

[@pickelskin9848]

Oh yeah Happy Birthday Suzuka Nakamoto.

[@martinL1577]

i'm suprised you didnt catch how she did that effect when you said she looked like a puppet,,,she has the mic on the bridge of her nose and singing away from the mic so the mic gets the sound from her nose and gets that tinny old time radio feel

[@jameschamblin7120]

If you want to talk about SuMetal believing it, you should check out No Rain, No Rainbow from the Legend S Baptism XX concert. Legend S was performed right before SuMetal's 20th birthday in her hometown of Hiroshima, and was the first concert they did without Yui. She is good at expressing emotions as it is, but this performance you can really feel it. Considered by many to be one of her best performances ever.

[@nelsonlorenzo4627]

deym.. this was a long reaction but it was very detailed.. i loved it.. the best reaction for this song so far in my opinion.. worth watching it whole

[@THEDavidHeretic]

FEELIN' YOU Nelson!!! Thank you for the kind words I really appreciate them.

[@crapstirrer]

Love that bass solo and knew you would too. The way Boh stretches his arms out at the end is practically saying "I'm great, you are welcome".

[@ndox9009]

perfect singer is boring , everything that is perfect doesn't have room to grow anymore. those mistake she make is one of her charm as our Queen , many fans always looking for that tiny mistake she make because with her singing and dancing there always some mistake and one of the best mistake she make is when she sung wrong part of the song at Super Slippa in Taiwan.

[@hardcorechristopher9174]

This is gonna rock i just know it

[@minamihideki7123]

The members of Kami Band the East, are basically all session musicians, so they belong to other bands as well. "The Kari (temporary) Band", a jazz fusion band led by the bassist, BOH, is pretty good too. According to Wikipedia Japanese edition, he's influenced by American bass players, Billy Sheehan and Victor Wooten. But I am not sure about them. I am also not sure who designed the live stage at the Budokan in 2014. I think it's wonderful, but at that time Yui fell down and there were some accidents. So, hmm, it's hard to say actually, haha... It is excellent that your point about Su-'s hand movements expressing the content of the song. She becomes like a puppet in the breakdown, and she sings "I can't escape from you. If I can't get out of here, at least let me see what you look like", with putting a mic on her nose and making a radio voice weakly. Maybe she would expect to be dead soon in the song. It is so informative for me about their music .I enjoyed your reaction video. I felt it was like a short time. Thank you from Japan.

[@vedantxd6361]

Thing about the Su solo songs is, it is very little choreographed. She almost does it intuitively without much choreography. You can even see some of the glimpse of choreography in her performances from Actor School Hiroshima days. She was doing it since she was probably around 7 or 8 Loved your reaction ✌🦊❤

[@drakeffbe8661]

Very good analysis, i thought it was gonna be BabyMetal Death when i saw your community post the other day, but we got this before instead is even better and more anticipation for BabyMetal Death. You've seen them in their own country and at their best and big productions, time to see them in festivals level out of Japan, and my suggestions are: -KARATE Live from UK Download 2016 - Ijime, Dame, Zettai from SONISPHERE 2014 Thank you for this, keep the good work and keep them coming, cheers! Oh, and Happy birthdaay 24th for our queen Su-Metal! :)

[@BlackArr0w]

He already saw Karate, so maybe "Distortion" at Download 2018 instead :D

[@shutupitisonlyjoke3529]

I didn’t notice the flat note until you pointed it out 😭

[@jonathanjones6984]

You by far are my favorite reactor...love the breakdown of the music....do you have anything on your band we can listen too

[@THEDavidHeretic]

I don't promote any of my bands on the channel in any way. I don't even mention the names of the bands I'm in on the channel. The reason for this is because I don't want people accusing me of using the channel as an advertising platform to promote the bands.

[@brentfordsandy6271]

I thought for sure your head was going to explode when you heard that bass solo by Boh... Good stuff here... Keep the Babymetal coming and I'll keep coming back for more thanks!

[@danieltull9583]

Always love your honesty. Actually made me rewatch the original video again.

[@MrFloppyHare]

Would love to see you tackle "Tales of the Destinies" by them. You'll need 2 hours. :-D Remember that that girl, with a performance like that, had only just turned 16..... ;-)

[@carldevries9108]

DH "I'm going back!" Me: shucky darn! Yeah, like we mind you rewinding David.

[@cyberpotato63]

I'm a bit surprised the term "Rock Opera" doesn't get thrown around more when talking about Baby Metal. They didn't start out that way. In the beginning it was just an offshoot project to combine the teenager j-pop girl group stuff they were trained to do with some metal concepts and make a couple of quirky music videos. The concept kind of snow-balled from there and ended up doing full Metal + J-pop, rock opera productions.

[@matthewgoodA1206]

Wow. I really hardly knew anything about this band. I was aware that Rob Zombie has worked with them in some capacity. He also defended them against haters online, vouching for how hard they rock. I agree.

[@emb5091]

Yes! Been waiting for this and his reaction to Boh's bass solo!🤘🦊🤘

[@ErnestRamos]

Awesome reaction as always Dave! And great job dropping this on Su's birthday. Well technically it was yesterday, but timezones got in the way. 🤣 I am surprised you didn't dive into that odd time feel of the instrumental sections of the song. I was hoping to hear what you (a bassist) would count it to. As a drummer, I was counting the intro of Rondo at 4/4 - 3/4 - 4/4 - 4/4 at about 168-170 bpm. The verse was 3/4 on the drums but coulc be counted as 6/8 from the guitars (Su is swaying/waltzing in 3 though). Chorus is in 6.

[@thedrunkentroll]

...the second soloist BABYMETAL's Kami Band Member Mikio Fujioka Has Died Aged 36 The guitarist fell off an observation tower while star watching and died five days later. Mikio Fujioka, guitarist in the Kami Band, the backing group for the Japanese pop-metal outfit BABYMETAL, has died at the age of 36.Jan 9, 2018

[@martinkolb1399]

Yeah now you come to the good stuff !!

[@k-popplayinklown5473]

I also would buy an album of SU-METAL singing about breakfast cereal

[@Tony-tx1pj]

The Power of the Queen! 👸 👑

[@jamesmcclung153]

I'm a slacker. I completely forgot to leave a comment. lol Very nice reaction and breakdown. Well worth the 51+ mins. I appreciate the shoutout in the beginning, and you're one of the few that got my last name right.😆

[@THEDavidHeretic]

Did I really? Whew....not gonna lie, I was a little worried. Glad to hear I got it right.

[@shirleybarclay5631]

I LOVE your reactions.....you catch everything that I don't see or hear. ❤❤❤

[@mendbayarluvsansharav4440]

Finally you have reacted it!!! I’ve been waiting it so long. Very nice reaction and you have done it so good. I have always enjoyed your professional point of view in every reactions you’re doing. Plus, I learn lot from your specific detailed description every single bit. Yes, I totally agree with you on your scores and no I don’t mind if you rewind it as many as you wanted. Actually, I wanted you to rewind it. So, thank you again for your honest reactions and hope we see more reactions of Babymetal in upcoming year. Next, if you want to here some metal ballad, I suggest you Sumetal’s another solo “No rain, no rainbow”, or if you want to hear some up tempo songs, “Amore”

[@AdorianMetaru666]

The best stage of all the recitals is that of the Tokyo Dome. It does everything and it is huge.

[@josephw.4743]

Another great one D.H.! Always a pleasure to watch your reviews!

[@atassu]

Amazing review as always David! All the Kami Band intros (from others songs too) always add an epic feel to the song! And that's why I think it would be awesome if you react "Catch Me If You Can BABYMETAL BLACK NIGHT LEGEND DOOMSDAY", cause Kami Band show off their amazing skills there too. And for me is the song who "defines" BABYMETAL (the "silly" and cute mixed with metal, even the lyrics plays with this combination). Another great suggestion is "BABYMETAL - Ijime,Dame,Zettai - Live at Sonisphere 2014,UK (OFFICIAL)" a historic moment in BABYMETAL's career and a must-see from everyone who jumped into the fox hole (and also my favorite one).

[@SavageClout]

Finallly

[@watcher2554]

Dancing in the Dark 2 meters above a rotating stage, a 16yr old Suzuka sings of an Unending Nightmare of being chasd by a Facesles Terror begging a Boon that it show her its Face just Once before she dies. That's Metal. That's Babymetal!! Put your Kitsune UP!! Po!

[@lilisakhnevich8077]

Another great reaction! Really enjoyed it

[@majorasm00gle]

I’ve seen some of the guitar solos from other shows. And in shows where babymetal is opening for other bands, Leda Cygnus (the first guitarist) incorporates some of the other bands songs into his solo (e.g. for Red Hot Chilli Peppers, he goes from his solo to playing the intro to “Can’t Stop” by Chilli Peppers.) In another show Takayoshi Ohmura (the 2nd one) was doing a solo and starts playing happy birthday (it was either Yuimetal’s bday or close to it.)

[@ShadowPulse-o1o]

This is what she singing The waning moon has lit up the insanity rampant in the shade The laughter resounds around It bares its fangs and its eyes gleam I can't escape from it It flickers slowly appearing and disappearing in my mind A nightmare rondo is being repeated The awakening light is gone far away out of my sight I can do nothing but run through the darkness In the woods, in the fountain I hide myself holding my breath but it's still coming closer to me A stagnant voice. An endless night Ah... If I can no longer get out of here won't you show me your figure? It flickers slowly appearing and disappearing in my mind A nightmare rondo is being repeated The awakening light is gone far away out of my sight I can do nothing but fall into the darkness

[@yamanaiame8064]

Thanks for reacting. Always enjoyed your reaction and explanation. And HBD to SU-METAL. next Ijime Dame Zettai live at Sonisphere, Tales of the Destinies

[@smashstuff86]

I recommend "Death" from Legend 1997, "Ijime, Dame, Zettai" from Sonosphere 2014 (their first UK performance), and then you may be ready for "Catch Me If You Can," which pumps up the cuteness and the heaviness. Watch the one with the Kami Band intro (Budokan Black Night).

[@SavageClout]

Put your kitsune’s uppppp🦊🦊🦊🦊🦊🦊🦊🦊🦊🦊🦊🦊🦊🦊🦊🦊🦊🦊🦊🦊🦊

[@foxgod4466]

THE QUEEN!! No more words! Absolutely amazign and perfect! Great react again David! See you in the next!!

[@majorasm00gle]

Cool thing, when they returned to Budokan this past year for their 10 year anniversary shows (yes shows… they did 10 😜) the stage look like an evolved version of this stage. The area where the band members now are gone, the band now perform on the walkways around the main platform. The main stage itself while it doesn’t rotate, it elevates in an almost pyramid like design. The stage is is also completely LED

[@shutupitisonlyjoke3529]

Every time I listen to this, I almost get emotional bc of how pretty Sumetals voice is lmao

[@greggarvin2663]

Very nice review. I don't think you'll get a lot of grief for pointing out the moment where her voice cracked oh so slightly... think most Babymetal fans love those (notably rare) moments for precisely the reason you mention, it shuts down the naysayers trying to claim she lip-synchs. I've seen people say she creates that vocal effect on that part where she's dangling like a doll by actually pressing the microphone oh so slightly into her cheek, would be curious if you think that could be true or not. She was still only 16 here. Maybe its time you checked out one of there more recent songs to see how much you think she's grown since then (today is her 24th birthday - or well actually its already "tomorrow" in Japan so I guess it already passed for her - did you know you were posting this on her birthday? Pretty cool regardless whether it was deliberate or accidental). B.M.C. might be a really good one to showcase the singer she has become: the official channel just has the music video version but here are a couple different live versions (the first is a fan made compilation of multiple performances for the video but one track for the audio, the second is from a TV appearance they made last New Years and so I guess carries the risk the show wouldn't let them do it live although Su doesn't look like she is lip-synching; the TV appearance also includes an in-studio interview with Su and Moa as the second half): kzbin.info/www/bejne/pn3SaYmYha9nr9U kzbin.info/www/bejne/lWfEoqN7nM19iMk

[@autohmae]

I don't like the TV appearance. It feels a bit lifeless because their is no studio audience because of covid.

[@greggarvin2663]

@@autohmae I prefer the other one also but included the TV as an alternate because I wasn't sure how David would feel about the first video splicing together footage from multiple performances even with a single audio track.

[@johnschultz7765]

The audio effect in the quiet verse is believed to be from using a nasal resonance technique of singing into the bottom of the mic held up to the nose. Su- did talk about learning the technique at one point. And that may well be how the original track was produced. But, here I believe she lip-synced that verse. If you watch the last few seconds you will see she pulls the mic out of position before the last note finishes in order to set up for coming back in live with the chorus. But there is no change in timbre on the note. Su- just can't maintain full mic discipline when she lipsyncs. Many fun examples in the Megitsune official MV and elsewhere.