LIVE REVIEW: BABYMETAL + BLOODYWOOD + MAGNOLIA PARK @ RIVERSTAGE 22/03/26

Words by Rod Fletcher

Right on the stroke of 6.00 pm, the lights dimmed and Magnolia Park hit the stage. Or should I say they took the stage by force. They came out loud and heavy, and they sounded awesome.

Hailing from Orlando, Florida (USA), Magnolia Park formed in 2018 and they have 3 studio albums, the latest being their 2023 neo-gothic concept album ‘Vamp’.

The quintet has only had a couple of changes in personnel, and their now current line-up has been stable since 2023. Joshua Roberts (vocals), Tristan Torres (guitar & bvs), Freddie Criales (guitar & bvs), Joe Horsham (drums), and Vincent Ernst (bass & bvs). [Ernst is credited with keys and programming; keys not played live on stage for this show].

Magnolia Park’s prior visit to Australia in 2023 is noted as a pivotal moment in focusing their direction towards a heavier nu-metal sound, although not losing their foundations in pop-punk and alternative rock.

Their 30 minute set was full tilt from the first note, with songs mainly coming ‘Vamp’, and a couple of tracks from their prior album ‘Halloween Mix Tape II’. Midway through the set, Tristan Torres took his guitar down into the crowd and played in the middle of a circle pit, and was then crowd-surfed back to the stage.

By this time, the growing crowd was deeply engaged with the band. The final three songs were huge - ‘Chasing Shadows’, ‘Dangerous’ (appeared to be the crowd favourite), and ‘Shallow’. The crowd was well and truly warmed up!

During the 30 minute interval and stage re-set, the crowd continued to swell. The flat area in front of the stage was now packed, and the hill was getting full. Bloodywood walked on stage at 7.00 pm to thunderous applause.

Bloodywood comes from New Delhi (India) and has been around since 2016. Karan Katiyar (guitars, flute) was recording metal parodies of Bollywood songs before linking up with Jayant Bhadula (rock vocals, growls), and they formed the band. Raoul Kerr (rap vocals) later joined the band in 2019, and they have had regular touring members since 2019 - Sarthak Pahwa (dhol), Roshan Roy (bass) and Vishesh Singh (drums).

Bloodywood has three studio albums and they have released numerous singles and videos, and they are the first metal band from India to chart on Billboard. Their sound is unique, fusing traditional Indian music with heavy metal, described as nu metal/folk metal and rap metal. The traditional Indian influence is undeniable, although it’s certainly not the house music you will hear at your local Indian restaurant.

Magnolia Park started the night with a heavy sound, Bloodywood increased the heavy factor by a good measure. The sound was a relentless sonic assault, and they were on fire. The crowd was in from the get go, and they went nuts when BABYMETAL also came on stage to share Bekhauf, a song that was a joint collaboration between both bands.

Their 45 minute set (8 songs) was all sourced from the latest two albums, ‘Rakshak’ (2022) and ‘Nu Delhi’ (2025). Aside from Bekhauf (with BABYMETAL), the big numbers were Dana-Dan (which has a strong anti-domestic violence message), Nu Delhi, Hallo Bol, and Macvhi Bhasad.

The band thanked the Aussie fans for supporting them since the early days, saying, “tonight is a celebration of our journey and also celebration of your role in that journey”. This might have been Bloodywood’s first tour to Australia, but it won’t be the last, and the next time will surely be their own headline tour.

Again, after the stage was re-set, the evening continued with precise timing. BABYMETAL’s show started dead-on time at 8.15 pm.

BABYMETAL (from Tokyo, Japan) is a kawaii metal band. The English translation of kawaii is cute. Kawaii metal (also known as cute metal, J-pop metal, or kawaiicore) is a genre that blends J-pop with heavy metal. BABYMETAL, formed in 2010, is a pioneer of this genre. They have recorded five albums, and have now been on eight world tours; super-star status for any band in any genre.

Blending J-pop with heavy metal might seem like an impossible marriage, but it works. The concert is an immersive experience, a cleverly orchestrated gig with brilliant use of pyrotechnics, lights, images & videos on the big screen, programmed backing, and choreographed dance moves. The “cute factor” of matching costumes, dancing and pop vocals is offset by occasional growl/scream vocals and constant crushing metal riffs.

The BABYMETAL band is Suzuka Nakamoto (aka Su-metal, vocals and dance), Moa Kikuchi (aka Moametal, scream and dance), and Momoko Okazaki (aka Momometal, scream and dance). It didn’t matter if the lyrics were sung in Japanese or English, these ladies had the crowd in the palms of their hands the entire show.

The touring musicians are known as the Kami Band. Best available information suggests the Kami Band consists of Chris Kelly (guitars), CJ Masciantonio (guitars), Anthony Barone (drums) and Clint Tustin (bass). They play on stage with elaborate face masks, and rarely get the full spotlight on them. These guys are a lethal outfit of exceptionally talented musicians; any metal or hard rock fan would go to see them play anywhere anytime. They rock big time!

BABYMETAL played for 75 minutes, with 12 songs in the main concert and another two songs in the encore. Their latest album ‘Metal Forth’ (2025) and the first album ‘Babymetal’ (2014) had the lions share of the setlist, however they played material from all of their album catalogue.

Standout tracks were Song 3, Kon! Kon! (with Bloodywood members joining in), Ratatata, Gimme Chocolate!, and Road Of Resistance.

The big crowd went home happy, many of them wearing the latest tour t-shirts. They had a great night of quality metal from three different countries and three different cultures.