ALBUM REVIEWS
For 15 years, BABYMETAL have carved out a unique space in metal, injecting a scarcely seen playfulness and providing blistering instrumentals that give some of the heaviest names a run for their money. But trust the Japanese trio to continue giving everything they have, especially considering the year they’ve had so far. In 2025 alone, they signed with corporate giant Capitol, headlined their first European arena tour and announced their biggest US shows with Black Veil Brides.
Building on that momentum, the band’s fourth album, ‘Metal Forth’, sees them continue to push boundaries and enlist some huge collaborations to take things up a notch. Tom Morello’s work on ‘METALLI!!’ captures a sonic new sound that complements their respective styles, and Bloodywood’s appearance on ‘Kon! Kon!’ introduces an invigorated folk element that makes it more captivating than many of their past releases. The collaboration with Slaughter To Prevail on ‘Song 3’ showcases eruptive riffs and unforgiving growls ablaze, and the two distinctive styles blend seamlessly to reach experimental new heights.
The same can be said of ‘KxAxWxAxIxI’ and the whimsical partnership with Djent heavyweights Polyphia, ‘Sunset Kiss’. In less than three-minutes apiece, SU-METAL, MOAMETAL and MOMOMETAL substitute pure, unbridled heaviness for more substance than usual. Instead of back-to-back intensity, the emphasis shifts towards the flow of the song. Scathing aspects are introduced gradually and eloquently, and the end result is more satisfying than an abundance of metal clichés.
While some tracks on ‘Metal Forth’ showcase the best aspects of each artist, others feel forced, and the end result dilutes the signature sound of the group. The collaboration with Poppy on ‘From Me To U’ struggles to locate a common ground, and instead focuses on creating a whirlwind of heavy metal tropes that lack purpose. The same can be extended to the energy-laden ‘RATATATA’ with Electric Callboy; just because BABYMETAL can join forces with some big names in modern-day metal, that doesn’t mean they always should.
There is no doubt that BABYMETAL are looking to make their biggest statement to date with ‘Metal Forth’, and no one can accuse them of playing it safe. The choice to join forces with so many artists was always a huge risk, and unfortunately, it sometimes ends up dampening the charm that first set them apart from the masses. But in the moments where it does come together, it’s both epic and intriguing as hell. If there is one thing to take from album four, it’s that, even 15 years into their discography, BABYMETAL are not afraid to push boundaries and are still looking to rewrite the rules of metal.
ALBUM REVIEWS
Canadian duo Softcult name their stunning first album after the well known Alexander Den Heijer line “When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” That belief in brave transformation and choosing something healthier runs through everything Mercedes and Phoenix Arn Horn do. The twin sisters know that idea intimately after spending over ten years in pop rock outfit Courage My Love, before stepping away in 2020 when major label life began to feel too restrictive to survive creatively.
Softcult emerged soon after in 2021 with ‘Another Bish’, a sharp edged dream pop statement that made it clear they would not be boxed in. A run of four gritty EPs followed, steeped in Riot Grrrl spirit, alongside hand assembled zines, an intensely loyal online following and high profile support slots with Muse and Incubus. Each move has helped build a carefully protected DIY universe where honesty and release come first.
The sisters have never sounded more grounded or self assured than they do on their self produced debut ‘When A Flower Doesn’t Grow’. The album loosely traces the process of escaping systems of abuse, control and expectation, opening with the weightless ‘Intro’. From there, the grimy surge of ‘Pill To Swallow’ finds Mercedes confronting how bleak the world can feel in 2026 with the line “no more promises of better days”, while still choosing resilience over surrender.
‘When A Flower Doesn’t Grow’ is packed with songs that run on pure fury. ‘Hurt Me’ erupts as a blistering release that recalls Nirvana at their most savage, while ‘Tired!’ barrels forward as a no nonsense punk blast aimed at suffocating pressures, with Mercedes biting back “tired of the expectations, tired of your explanations.” Elsewhere, the hazy drive of ‘Naïve’ and the deceptively bright ‘Queen Of Nothing’ bristle with restrained anger, and the charging ‘16/25’ pulls no punches when calling out predatory behaviour. ‘She Said, He Said’ cuts just as sharply, its spoken word delivery flipping between mockery and menace to deepen the band’s guitar led resistance.
Softcult’s debut feels like a natural step forward from their spiky punk roots while also opening doors to new sounds. The loud soft swing of ‘Not Sorry’ bursts with relief and joy, marking the most carefree moment they have ever put on record. At the other end, closing track ‘When A Flower Doesn’t Go’ strips everything back, blending acoustic folk with scorched post rock textures. The duo sound at ease moving between these poles, but it is the fragile hush of ‘I Held You Like Glass’ that lands hardest, leaving room for vulnerability and quiet heartbreak to linger.
