Sis Anger (Yuimetal Special)

On this the day kitsune around the world celebrate the birthday of diminutive smile machine Moametal, as well as reviewing Sis Anger I want to take a moment to reflect on her partner in crime, her fellow queen of kawaii and the Angel of Dance, Mizuno Yui. Otherwise know as Yuimetal.

Song first, Sis Anger is a very Yuimetal song, mixing the most brutal of metal with the sweetest (bordering on saccharine), cheeriest of J-Pop vocal sounds. It is a pounding, relentless track musically with shades of debut album's Catch Me If You Can which similarly mixed double pedalled, furious drums with the cherub like vocals of Black Babymetal's little duo.

Unlike CMIYC, Sis Anger is a purely Black Babymetal track and as such loses a little of the break that CMIYC had with Su-metal's parts. I remain on the fence with Sis Anger as to me the vocals take a step backward from the rest of Metal Resistance. Elsewhere on the album Moa & Yui sound smoother, stronger and more mature. It marks a development from the first album, especially on tracks like lead single Karate and other Black Babymetal track GJ!. This has helped allow more people to get into the band, putting aside what is for some the most jarring aspect of the band, the vocals.

Unfortunately in this regard Sis Anger sounds too much like it belongs on debut effort Babymetal. Moametal & Yuimetal sound very young, stretched and to a certain degree out of place. In Metal Hammer's Metal Resistance review by Dom Lawson (a Babymetal advocate from album one) he remarks that the "presence of harmonised squeaky voices over the top of brutal 21st-century metal riffs [...] is, and probably always will be, intermittently hilarious". It is in tracks like Sis Anger I feel it is most likely referring to.

It is a fine line to the girls feeling in or out of place, sounding cutting edge or slightly hilarious, which many (myself included) don't really mind either way, but is where those fans on the fence could drop either side. On Karate and GJ! for example, it's not like they sound entirely different to on Sis Anger, after all it's the same people singing. On GJ! however the track is more suited to them. They are vocally less stretched and so sound more comfortable and in control. The single makes all three sound powerful, strong and most importantly more like young adults. In Sis Anger like on much of the debut, they sound very much like children, vocally stretched and more juxtaposed to their metal setting.

Yuimetal, as I have commented previously, is unfortunately the biggest victim of this. In both Black Babymetal tracks on Metal Resistance she is the most difficult to hear. Moametal with her slightly more powerful vocal comes through crisp and clear, while Yuimetal, with a higher register than her spiritual sister sometimes gets a little lost between Moa and the searing backing music. That said, she does puncture through at points and there are times during the song I can't separate the duo.

EDIT (Added)

The lyrics are quite interesting In context. It's a very forward track lyrically, up front and slightly confrontational which is against what is my understanding of Japanese traditional culture somewhat. There is a strong 'girl power' vibe to it as they demand more from the antagonist of the song.

In terms of the strength, this is open to interpretation to a degree however I don't think there is anything as strong as the language you've suggested some have translated it As. Kirai means to dislike something and baka does have a connotation off idiot but I don't think there is any suggestion of swearing or moving into anything too controversial.

Overall it's a 'take no shit' and 'only settle of the best' theme that runs throughout as the girls call out things they don't like (selfishness, lack of ambition/belief, no spirit and being fake). They aren't going to suffer fools and want people of strength and character. It feeds into the wider themes of the album as a weak person isn;t going to have the perseverance or strength to battle through in the way tracks like Karate describe.

Ultimately the girls tell us "I will knock your ill-nature into shape". Try and fool them and they will set you straight. It's forward and progressive in a culture where women aren't always treated as equally as they could be. It's actually really quite metal when it comes down to it. The girls aren't standing for your shit so don't cross them lol

Finally, depending on the translations I've read there is an undercurrent that these demands may well be getting aimed at prospective romantic suitors. If that is the case it further propels the growth of the girls and the band. On Babymetal they were singing to their daddy, asking for sweets and delicious things. On Metal Resistance they are singing to the guys trying to get with them, telling them, hey buddy, this ain't no free ride, you better shape up or ship out. Olivia Newton John would no doubt be proud.

EDIT (End)

The music itself is where the track shines. It is as I have said brutal, pounding and doesn't let up from beginning to end. The chorus slows slightly and flows nicely, with a very rhythmic approach as the track builds. It perhaps lacks a strong middle eight or solo section and doesn't have an immediately sing-a-long section the likes that GJ! has with the 'Motto Hora' but overall it retains a reasonably strong presence throughout and is the heaviest track on the album. It's opening, a rough spoken intro reminds me a lot of many tracks from the Manic Street Preachers' album The Holy Bible, also full of dark, rough cuts, though in a more punk, 80s classic rock style.

This feeling of general, if dark strength without necessarily a definitive focal point I feel is a nice mirror of Yuimetal's place in Babymetal. As the Angel of Dance she occupies a vital, but less immediately obviously role within in the group. Many groups have that member that is a vital cog but more silent operator or unsung hero. Think Charlie Watts in The Rolling Stones or Roger Taylor) of Queen, the latter of which is often overlooked as having written some of the bands most loved songs such as Radio Gaga & Under Pressure.

Yuimetal has a similar position in Babymetal. Her often perfect moves lend a professional, driven aspect to the band. She has morphed from adorable munchkin, to a bit of an ice cool professional. Thought she can smile just as wide as Moametal, she is mostly seen deep in concentration and tightly choreographed. While Su-metal leads from the front & Moametal shines as the heart of the group, there has always been a more reserved, shy sense to Yui. This is reflected in the Rockin' On Japan interview where she muses "If something happened and we did not have this two person relationship I feel that I would not be able to do anything."

This obvious reliance on the strength of the group is a theme in wider Japanese culture and in the video interview with Nylon, Yui hinted at this further noting she admires the American drive to find ones own path as opposed to blending into the group. A hint perhaps at a personal dream as well, with her often in the past taking more of a backseat in interviews while her fellow performers comfortably take lead.

She admits in the former interview quite openly to her more withdrawn nature saying "When I am my usual, day to day self I tend to draw back into myself and lose confidence so easily and quickly [...] I think almost all of what I do I could not do not being Yuimetal."

It has been heartening to watch Yui grow, especially in this current tour where she has taken up the mantle more in interviews. She has been answering questions more frequently and sounds much more confident than before, especially when trying her hand at English. In many ways I think Yuimetal has grown the most in her time with Babymetal. Su-metal and Moametal have been bright, shining stars since the early days of Sakura Gakuin but Yui has come out of her shell more and more over the years. She was outgoing in her earliest years but this was more the exuberance of childhood more than straightforward confidence and as she's grown you've seen her become more considered and thoughtful in her actions and performance.

Much like Moametal however, Yuimetal is truly at home on stage. Here more than anywhere she exudes confidence and is a professional of the highest quality; no mean feat for one so young. I put forth in the Wembley Celebration Series that were Babymetal to disband, it would perhaps be Yui who would be the most likely to want to do other things. I am happy to say that this feeling has also lessened over time. In line with Yuimetal's increasing confidence has been a renewed feeling of happiness within the band. Indeed she says this herself confirming "I would hate to think of not being a member of this band. The desire to spread Babymetal as far as possible as it is with the members we have now gets stronger everyday." As a fan nothing fills me with more confidence and happiness to see Yui, while still perhaps fragile at heart, gaining strength and forward momentum from Babymetal.

With Su-metal at the helm, her voice continually developing. Moametal at the heart, her smile shining and now Yuimetal as the engine, propelling the group from behind, there truly are no heights the band can not reach. With Yuimetal bring up there rear of Babymetal's charge, there's no stopping them.

As always I'm keen to hear your thoughts both on Sis Anger and the Angel of Dance Yuimetal in the comments below. Next week see's us look at the album's solitary ballad and fan favourite No Rain, No Rainbow but until then...

See You!

Resistance Review Series:

Part 1 First Wembley, Now The World

Part 2 - Awadama Fever

Part 3 - Yava!

Part 4 - Amore (Su-metal Special)

Part 5 - Meta Taro

Part 6 - From Dusk Till Dawn

Part 7 - Syncopation

Part 8 - GJ!

10/07/16 - Part 10 - No Rain, No Rainbow

17/07/16 - Part 11 - Tales of the Destinies

24/07/16 - Part 12 - The One (All Versions)

Wembley Celebration Series:

Part 1 Babymetal Birth, Babymetal Death(Su-metal Special)

Part 2 Megitsune

Part 3 Gimmie Chocolate

Part 4 iine!

Part 5 Akatsuki

Part 6 Doki Doki Morning

Part 7 Onedari Daisakusen(Yuimetal Special)

Part 8 Song 4(Moametal Special)

Part 9 Uki Uki Midnight

Part 10 Catch Me If You Can

Part 11 Rondo of Nightmare

Part 12 Headbangya

Part 13 Ijime, Dame, Zettai

Part 14 Road of Resistance

Bonus Karate Special