BabyMetal & Dethklok: The Most Novel Show in Metal

Metal is no stranger to over-the-top theatrics.

From Ghost to Behemoth to Sleep Token, lots of bands make it a point for their live shows to be a visual spectacle. While the aforementioned bands might spend more on these elaborate productions, there are probably none as unique as BabyMetal and Dethklok. Comparisons can be made between Behemoth and Ghost or Sleep Token and Slipknot, but no other bands are similar to what BabyMetal and Dethklok do live.

I’ve never seen a metal show like this.

The evening was opened by Jason Richardson of Born of Osiris, Chelsea Grin, and All That Remains fame.

As a solo artist, he brought a blistering display of guitar virtuosity. He was the sole performer playing over a backing track and as such needed to be busy on stage to keep the energy going. He did an admirable job, but due to how demanding and technical his music was, he had no choice but to stand still at times and concentrate on the parts he was playing. The music itself was tremendously impressive for a guitar nerd like myself but his live show suffered from not having other musicians on stage to support him.

Next up was Dethklok.

The band kept themselves obscured in shadow. You could only see their silhouettes as the lights behind them made only their outlines visible. The focus instead was on a giant screen behind the band which displayed animations that went along with the songs. What was a treat for fans of Metalocalypse was the animations weren’t just ripped from footage of the television show or movie. This was new footage made specifically for the live performance of Dethklok. Meanwhile, the band sounded impeccable. Brendon Small’s voice was powerful. He sounded better live than even recordings of Nathan Explosion and his guitar tone was crisp as well.

I was already a fan but I walked away even more impressed with him as a musician despite discovering him through television.

Then to close the show Babymetal absolutely leveled the place.

I’ve honestly never seen anything like this at a metal show before. When they took the stage the crowd erupted into a frenzy of bodies jumping and thrashing. I now have an idea of what it looks like when megafans are in the presence of pop stars. The adulation and the joy were palpable in the air. It was like the mix of a rave, a mosh pit, and a ritual all in one. The show played out much like a big pop show as well. The girls had a complex production and a choreographed dance routine to match each song. Their cardio routine must be rigorous!

The difference between a Babymetal show and another pop show is they weren’t singing over a backing track, there was a real band performing the music.

The band in masks resembling Ghost or Slaughter to Prevail provided crushing metal that ran the gamut from thrashy groove to modern djent. Meanwhile, the girls with their syncopated routines performed with much more energy and enthusiasm than a rote pop performance. It was surreal.