Jpop: Band-Maid - The non-fiction days

From the coming album "Brand New MAID" comes Band-Maid's single "The non-fiction days". Again I must say I can't find a better niche than being an all-female, japanese, maid-cosplaying, metal band. Seriously. #nerdheaven

• Band-Maid - The non-fiction days

Jpop/metal: Babymetal - The One

Last year's success story in the metal world, Babymetal, returned this week with their new single "Karate" which ticked all the expected boxes with a nice fantasy setting and their usual energy. With the next video "The One" they instead goes for live footage and a more emotional ballad, and this time lead singer Suzuka sings quite much in english. This feels like a perfect fan video and I'm quite sorry I can't be at the concert this saturday in London.

• Babymetal - The One

Jpop/metal: Babymetal - Karate

From maybe THE hot metal/jpop item of 2015, the three girls (and their possè) of Babymetal, now finally comes the much awaited first song from the new album "Metal Resistance", and for all the fans loving their mixture of metal and cute idol singing, this is most assuredly another favorite. I personally think it is not their best to date, but it is none the less quite nice.

• Babymetal - Karate

Iranian metal: Aliaj

The Iranian metal band Aliaj is a good example that music transcends borders and stereotypes, their melodic metal would be right at home at some metal heads home in the Swedish countryside.

• Aliaj - Cry
• Aliaj - Scar
• Aliaj - Dead Eye
• Aliaj - Paper Moon
• Aliaj - Fear
• Aliaj - Wings

Jpop: Ladybaby

After the international success of Babymetal, many have tried to copy the formula, but I think the trio of Ladybaby may be the first to come near. They follow the same idea of a) crossing metal and idol pop and b) having young girls (Rie Kaneko and Rei Kuromiya) doing this, but - and it is a big but - there is a big difference and that comes in the form of its third member Richard Magarey who is a male cross-dressing, wrestling Australian known as Ladybeard who does the heavy metal roars. He has actually been doing this for a while and the cross dressing started a long time ago. It is more a question of that his and the girls time has come, and I actually find them quite charming. Read more at Dazed.

• Ladybaby - Nippon Manju (ニッポン饅頭)
• Ladybaby - Renge Chance! (蓮華チャンス！)
• Ladybaby - C'est si bon Kibun (セシボン・キブン)