“METAL FORTH“, the guest-filled fifth studio album from Kawaii metallers BABYMETAL, has made chart history, debuting at #9 on the Billboard 200. That marks the first time an all-Japanese fronted band has managed to open in the top ten of that U.S. based chart. The band scored that position thanks to shifting 36,000 album-equivalent units, 33,500 of which were attributed to album sales. Streaming-equivalent units accounted for 2,500 of that sum, equating to 3.28 million on-demand streams in the United States alone.
A press release however notes that the songs featured on the album have already racked up over 200 million streams globally. The band themselves offered thanks in the below collective statement:
“Thank you so much for your support on our new album ‘METAL FORTH‘ around the world! We hope you enjoy it! Our music & career are evolving globally, and we are moving forward with “Beyond HEAVY METAL.” Our journey continues, and we can’t wait to see you at BABYMETAL shows in your city and your country.”
BABYMETAL certainly had some help from their friends in achieving this feat, as “METAL FORTH” is stacked with guests. Among those appearing are Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello, Poppy and members of Slaughter To Prevail, Spiritbox, Electric Callboy, Polyphia and Bloodywood.
