Metal Forth is the fifth[a] studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Babymetal. Originally scheduled for release on June 13, 2025, it was delayed several times and eventually released on August 8, 2025. It is the first Babymetal album to feature Momoko Okazaki as an official member and the first to be released following the band's signing to Capitol Records. Metal Forth peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200, becoming the first Japanese act to chart in the top ten in the United States.
Metal Forth was announced on April 1, 2025.[2] The title is a play on words, meaning "beyond metal"[3] and referencing the band's view of it as their fourth studio album.[a] It is the first Babymetal album to feature Momoko Okazaki as an official member since she joined the band in 2023 after the departure of Yui Mizuno in 2018, and the first to be released following the band's signing to Capitol Records in early 2025.[4]
The collaborative nature of the album marks a departure from the band's previous albums, with only three of its tracks lacking a guest artist.[5][6] It has been noted for the varied backgrounds of said artists as it features Tom Morello, Polyphia, and Poppy from the United States; Spiritbox from Canada; Electric Callboy from Germany; Bloodywood from India; and Slaughter to Prevail from Russia. The album was produced by the band's creator Kobametal, whilst the opening track was co-written and produced by Jordan Fish of English band Bring Me the Horizon, whose 2020 song "Kingslayer" featured Babymetal.
Metal Forth received generally positive reviews from music critics, at Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 78, which indicates "generally favorable reviews", based on eight reviews.[7]
The album received a score of 7/10 from Clash reviewer Sam Walker-Smart, who described it as "unrelentingly maximalist as fans could hope for—an audacious whirlwind of global collaborations, high-gloss chaos, and boundless enthusiasm".[9] It was assigned a rating of 8/10 by Blabbermouth, which called it "an audacious delight" and "the snappiest Babymetal release to date".[8]Kerrang! gave it a verdict of 4/5 stars, noting that "there are moments of genius here [...] in forging new bonds and attempting to break new ground, Metal Forth's intentions are noble and the executions occasionally excellent".[12] It was rated 4/5 by Dork, which referred to it as "complex, polished and unshakeable",[11] and DIY described it as "harmonic and balanced".[10]NME gave it 3/5 stars and noted that "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".[15]Sputnikmusic assigned it a rating of 3.2/5 and said that the album "doesn't feel like a new release, and more importantly, it doesn't sound like a Babymetal album".[16]
Commercial performance
Metal Forth debuted at number three on the Oricon Combined Weekly Albums chart for the week of August 18, 2025 with 24,374 equivalent album units,[17] debuting at the top of the Digital Albums chart with 2,264 first-week downloads,[18] debuting at number three on the Physical Albums chart with 21,723 sales,[19] while also topping the Rock Albums chart.[20] The album also managed to chart on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums chart at number 15 for the week of August 13, 2025.[21]
In the United States, Metal Forth debuted at number nine on the Billboard 200 for the week of August 23, 2025, with 36,000 equivalent album units earned,[22] of which 2,500 units were acquired from streaming units equivalent to 3.28 million on-demand official streams, and 33,500 units were pure album sales, allowing the album to debut at number two on the Top Album Sales chart and giving the act their biggest sales week.[23] The former chart placement also marked the first time an all-Japanese act charted a top ten album in the history of the Billboard 200.[24]
Track listing
All songs are produced by Kobametal. Additional producers are listed below.
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