10 Years, 10 Shows, 1,000 Vinyls: BABYMETAL Series 2 hits WAX

In celebration of their 10th anniversary Nippon Budokan shows this year, these Japanese kawaii metal heavyweights are holding their 2nd NFT drop on WAX tomorrow at 15 UTC. Once again, there’s limited-edition vinyls up for grabs…

SEPTEMBER 8, 2021. NEWS. WRITTEN BY HYDRO.

For western audiences, BABYMETAL falls into two camps. Either you’ve never heard of them, or you were caught up in the typhoon of reaction videos to their 2014 debut album, when their unique look and sound, showcased through hits such as Megitsune, Headbangeeeerrrr!!!!!!! and Gimme Chocolate!!, were breaking the internet.

I unashamedly fall into the latter. This quote from Tim Sendra’s classic Allmusic review from the time perfectly encapsulates how I felt then, and how I still feel now, about their debut; 

“It’s clearly not an album for metalheads who like to follow the clear definitions of what makes metal metal, or one for J-pop fans who are scared of huge guitar riffs. But those who don’t really care about rules and just want to jump around like idiots to the brightest, silliest music imaginable will find exactly what they never dreamed about asking for in Babymetal’s brilliant debut.”

Their first NFT drop on WAX took place on May 6 – a $100 pack containing 10 trading cards delivered to your wallet, and a gold-coloured vinyl delivered to your door, in celebration of their 10th year.

Between January and April this year, BABYMETAL played 10 shows at the iconic Nippon Budokan – a venue synonymous with heavy music, and one which the band has torn down multiple times before.

Whether you’re a fan of the music or not, I implore you to take a few minutes to watch the below, taken from one of the dates. Despite the COVID restrictions in place, the fan atmosphere, production value and stage presence are absolutely top-notch!

The 10th and final performance of this run was made into the 10 BABYMETAL BUDOKAN live album, and tomorrow at 15 UTC, BABYMETAL returns to WAX to celebrate!

This time around, there’s two options available; a $125 bundle containing a 15-card MechaPack and a 10 BABYMETAL BUDOKAN gold-coloured vinyl (limited to 1,000), and a $35 5-card pack (limited to 2,500) – both drops being CC/PayPal only.

The cards come in three rarities – Common, Rare and Super Rare – all showcasing imagery and promotional shots from the Nippon Budokan shows. The packs will be distributed next Tuesday (14th), with pack openings going live at 17 UTC.

Is this drop for everyone? Of course not. But, it’s yet another example of musicians, whether they’re grassroots or big name, choosing WAX as their ticket into the NFT space.

BABYMETAL are ahead of the trend; I truly believe that in future – maybe even just a few years from now – major music releases will feature an NFT element in one aspect or another.

I’ll see you, card in hand, alongside me at 15 UTC tomorrow!