Babymetal

Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montreal QC, August 9

Photo: Benoit Turcotte

BY Natalie Zina WalschotsPublished Aug 10, 2014

5
A fusion of multi-subgenre heavy metal and Idol-style J-pop, Babymetal have become an online phenomenon. Their unusual mash-up aesthetic and over-the-top music videos earned them both adoration and derision among metal heads in nearly equal meaures, with some appreciating the novelty and energy, while others found the cutesy and stylized elements profoundly unkvlt.

In a live setting, and especially early in the day on one of Heavy Montreal's largest outdoor stages, a lot of Babymetal's glamour is defeated. The choreography of the three vocalists/dancers came across as stiff and stilted, though they gradually relaxed into the performance and brought some of their glittering, saccharine peppiness into the show.

More than any of the glittering image, it's Babymetal's backing band that was the unquestionable star of this how, especially the preternaturally talented bassist Boh (Binecks), who all display dizzying technical skill behind their modified corpse paint.

Photo Gallery: FB, g+

Latest Coverage