It looks like they are marketed as a gimmick to me. They're not even their own band, but an offshoot of some revolving door girl group.

It's a combination of J-pop and metal, I don't even know what I could possibly take seriously about that. I like the music I've heard though. It's fun and goofy and its own unique animal. I tend to like things like that.

Well they're trying to be accessible to the mainstream, aren't they? Novelty acts don't usually do that. They're also trying to create the illusion that they're part of some kind of talented band by hiring talented studio musicians to make legitimately good music. If it was just the regular cheesy metal, I'd agree with you, but the musicianship on this is actually pretty decent.

I don't know about you, but if Weird Al suddenly started playing jazz fusion song parodies with The Mahavishnu Orchestra backing him up, I'd say he was trying to take himself pretty seriously.

How can you even like music that you don't take seriously, at least to some extent, whether it be the musicianship, the lyrics, etc.

Please remember this is a manufactured pop band. Not a real metal band.

The level of seriousness is not an issue for me. I actually do like a lot of bands that I don't take seriously at all.

You just answered your own question.
Weird Al. No way you can take him seriously, but you can enjoy his music. It's the same with any novelty act. I love "Star Trekkin'" by the Firm, but no way would I take it seriously. Life, and music, does not all have to be about taking things seriously. Honestly, why would this bug you so much? It's not like they're trying to take Iron Maiden or Metallica's crown, now is it? They're just enjoying themselves. I say fair play to them.

Easy on the eye too, which is more than I can say about 90% of metal bands! ;)

It doesn't bother me at all, I think I've listened to one song all the way through, and about 20 seconds of another song. I honestly couldn't care any less about them, or who likes them.

Of course you can't take Weird Al seriously, in the sense of music, because comedy isn't meant to be taken seriously. Taking comedy seriously is like listening to prog metal because you think weird time signatures are funny.

"Hahahaha, Jim, did you hear that hilarious guitar progression?! It was SO oddly structured, bro!"

"No, Gilbert Gottfried just made a joke about a bear ****ing a guy in the ass, but the guy keeps coming back! Like you'd keep coming back! UGH! It's so unrealistic!"

Whether they're enjoying themselves, or trying to take Iron Maiden's crown, etc. doesn't really factor into my opinion. I'm criticizing what they sound like first and foremost. I do think they take themselves way too seriously, and like I said before, it isn't common that a band that doesn't take itself seriously would have this level of production and musicianship. No band that's just trying to be a novelty would spend that kind of time, effort and capital to create their music.

Presumably you have a lot of your own money invested in the popular music industry. If not, I can't imagine why you care about any of this at all.

Are you saying that being manufactured means that they don't take themselves seriously? Or are you just reminding everyone that they're a pop band that's trying to appeal to metalheads?

Why on earth would you listen to music that you don't take somewhat seriously? What's the point in listening to it if you don't take it seriously? Any bands that I've ever listened to that I don't take seriously are jokey. Even bands that are eccentric, like Ween or Beck, I take seriously, because the music is legitimately unique and original. Then there's your Weird Al, Cars Can Be Blue, stuff that's intended to make you laugh. I can totally understand not taking that kind of music seriously and still liking it, but that's different. There's no joke factor with this music, it's just crappy.

Presumably, you didn't read the first 2 sentences of my post. :laughing:

Y'all questioned my opinions, so I'm elaborating. If you don't like it, then you obviously care more about this than I do.

It's called fun.

It might be fun for 5 minutes or 5 years, it doesn't really matter. Nobody is saying this band are the next King Crimson or whoever.
I don't know what the seriousness of the people playing has anything to do with it. Some of the best rock musicians have played with Spinal Tap, that doesn't make them a serious band.

I read it all thoroughly.

I take Babymetal as seriously as I take Ween who I love. And while you're using Beck as an example of serious music, I'll go ahead and say that I prefer Babymetal to Beck right now. Beck has sucked for at least 10 years (probably a lot more), and Babymetal amuses me currently.

They're a fictional band that was made up, dude. You don't take the music of Spinal Tap seriously? I would, because they have some legitimately good music. It doesn't matter if it's fun or not. I think Metallica is fun. In fact, I think all of my music is fun, that's why I listen to it, because I enjoy it.