Since I was in middle school, I’ve had an infatuation with various types of rock and metal. All the subgenres, the different sounds produced by each individual artist within such a massive genre of music… Everything about it left me wanting more. When I came across a BABYMETAL song on the radio when I was 14, I was about to go down a rabbit hole of one of my all time favorite subgenres: metalcore—a certain subset of Japanese heavy metal that combines pop music with more traditional metal.

Years later, after listening to many artists in the subgenre, I was recommended HANABIE.’s work, specifically their newest album, Reborn Superstar!. Aftering hearing the first minute of “Osaki Ni Shitsurei Shimasu”, I knew I had to continue.

The album starts off with the song “Blast Off”. This song is short and had no singing in it—typical for most songs introducing an album.The  electronic beat really put me in the mood to listen to more music.

As I listened, I found some trends amongst the songs. In the end, I organized the songs into 3 categories: songs that felt more like pop songs, songs that felt more like traditional metal songs, and songs that felt unique.

“ME, The Ultimate Invader of the Universe;” “Be the GAL -Early Summer version-;” and “NEET Game” felt more pop-ish compared to other songs on the album. NEET Game was by far my favorite out of these 3, and easily one of my favorites on the album. It had a videogame sound and was super upbeat. Songs like these make for great introductions to the genre, as they’re a lot easier to take in and can be more enjoyable to a wider audience. 

Hyperdimension Galaxy; Tales of Villain; and Warning!!felt more like heavier metal songs. Although I prefer more of a mix myself, these songs were still alright. My main complaint with songs like Hyperdimension Galaxy and Tales of Villain on an album like this is that they feel less upbeat compared to the rest of the album. Warning!! was a lot more upbeat than these two, however, still had many aspects of a more traditional metal song. I enjoyed them, 

Finally, we have the songs that used a good mix of both, producing songs with a much more unique feel: Run Away; Today’s Good Day & So Epic; and Osaki Ni Shitsurei Shimasu. These three songs really stood out to me, and all in their own ways. Run Away used more talking and yelling in the pop portions of the song, which I found to be an interesting choice. Today’s Good Day & So Epic was likely my least favorite song on the track. The backtrack felt cheerful yet traditional. It was a change of pace that I didn’t prefer, though I can see why someone would enjoy it as well. The third song in this category, Osaki Ni Shitsurei Shimasu, was my favorite out of the album. The combination of different instruments and techniques while also finding a way to fit in with the rest of the album made it a worthwhile listen. Although these more unique songs don’t always get the most attention, this song is an exception. The certain spice added to the album is unmatched and really gives it what it needs to stand out.

Melodic masterpiece or metal’s newest mess? After listening a few times, my final verdict is that the mix of pop and metal, along with the various ways it interprets the genre’s limitations, make it perfect for both metalcore megafans and people who just happened to stumble upon it. it wasn’t my favorite album of all time, though I’d still listen to it again and enjoy it all the same. in the end, though I think it’s closer to a masterpiece than a mess.