On one of the metal sites I read from time to time, there has been some debate over the band, Baby Metal, and whether their quality of music is good or bad. Now in case you have never heard of them, Baby Metal's music consists of three young Japanese girls (I'd say none over the age of 15) who sing over a mixture of J-pop and death metal riffs. Some people have argued whether it’s metal or not. Others have stated that maybe a band of this caliber can bring something new to the metal world. For me it's not the question of their music, which by the way, makes me want to vomit violently every time I hear it. It goes deeper than that. Baby Metal is essentially a "product." By this I mean they’re a gimmick put together by a record company to make money.

Originally, the girls are from a J-pop group called Sakura Gakuin (Essentially a Japanese version of Menudo where if you reach a certain age, you’re out and replaced by somebody else). Baby Metal is simply an off shoot of that group. And much like the former, BM reeks of management influence where you’re taught what to wear and what to say. I remember an early interview I saw of them and cringed each time a question was asked. It was something like this:

INTERVIEWER: What's your favorite band?

SINGER WHOSE NAME I CAN‘T REMEMBER: Cannibal Corpse! Hai! *makes peace sign*

It was like this with every fucking question; a response with the word "hai" at the end, coupled with a peace sign and a smile. These type of answers makes one question the validity of what their saying. Not to sound like some sort of creeper but I guarantee you that if I looked at each of these girls' music collection, I severely doubt I'd find any sort of death metal. I’m pretty sure management told them to name one well known dm band to get cred. Unfortunately for them, Corpse would be the band I would expect a gimmick band to name. If they had said Asphyx, Nile, or ever Dismember instead (without the stupid stuff tacked on the end), I might, just might, have given them a little credit.

In the end, the question is "Does a group like this contribute something meaningful to the music world?" I can't speak for everyone but I say no. I view BM as nothing more than money driven, flavor of the month act. Can anyone honestly say their music will have the same staying power as Hendrix or Pink Floyd?