After single-handedly launching the metal idol genre with a run of brilliant singles and a hyper-fun self-titled debut album, the Babymetal crew return with Metal Resistance, a second album that alters their winning formula in some important ways. Band mastermind Kobametal and the writers and producers he hired have cut out some of the more playful elements of their sound in favor of a heavier, more serious approach. Yes, the main concept of a trio of chirpy J-pop girls singing in unison over thrashing metal riffs and pummeling beats is still the basis of their genius, but this time there are no reggae interludes, no dubstep breakdowns, fewer bubblegummy melodies, almost no cookie-monster vocals, and no songs about chocolate and their desperate need to have it. In their place are some nu metal influences, epic tracks like "Road of Resistance" that have an '80s Iron Maiden-ish feel, a piano-and-strings ballad ("No Rain, No Rainbow"), and a general sense that this time the band is a real metal band, not a novelty. ~ Tim Sendra

Rovi