As Babymetal hit London’s O2 Arena and prepare to release new album Metal Forth, we speak to the trio about why they’ve gone collab crazy!
Metal Forth features a whopping seven guest stars from the modern metal scene: Poppy, Spiritbox, Electric Callboy, Slaughter To Prevail, Bloodywood, Polyphia and Tom Morello.
Babymetal singer Su-metal says they formed friendships with the artists through touring, resulting in an album that’s “incredibly rich and diverse”. The trio’s ambition now is to inspire others.
“During the making of the new album Metal Forth, and throughout these past few years of touring, we’ve really felt that Babymetal is being recognised within the metal world, and that there are people we’ve influenced who are now becoming the next generation of metal artists,” says Su-metal. “Our next goal is to help lead that next generation.”
We also speak to the guest collaborators themselves, about what it’s like to work with Japan’s biggest and brightest metal band.
“After so many years of writing music mostly on our own, it was refreshing to have totally different influences come into play,” explains Electric Callboy’s Kevin Ratajcazk of hit song Ratatata. “It made us more aware of how easy it is to get stuck in your ways, and it helped us to think more outside the box.”
Also in the issue, Metallica guitar legend Kirk Hammett reveals why he doesn’t believe in retirement, why he’s working on a new solo album – and why he cooked breakfast for Hollywood hotshot Jason Momoa.
Volbeat’s Michael Poulsen gets The Hammer Interview treatment, opening up about his friendship with King Diamond, his deep-dive into Satanism, and his weird obsession with… goats?! Plus, ahead of Linkin Park’s show at Wembley Stadium, we investigate their triumph, tragedy and unlikely resurrection.
Elsewhere, Opeth uncover the story behind their anthem Ghost Of Perdition, and System Of A Down bassist/Seven Hours After Violet man Shavo Odadjian talks deathcore, Cuban cigars and nonsense lyrics.
We also remember the chaos of Nine Inch Nails’ infamous Self Destruct touring cycle, find out why The Conjuring star Vera Farmiga has formed metal band The Yagas, and watch symphonic metal band Plague Of Angels take on a bunch of irate Christians by playing York Minster.
All this, along with Sleep Token, Ghost, Bury Tomorrow, Confess, Kuunatic, Malevolence, Vexed, Kalandra, Incineration festival, Inferno festival and much, much more.
Only in the new issue of Metal Hammer, on sale now. Order it online and have it delivered straight to your door.
