Bridear Explained

Background:group_or_band
Origin:Fukuoka, Japan
Genre:Power metal
Years Active:2011–present
Label: Avex Trax
Setsuzoku
Current Members:
  • Kimi
  • Haru
  • Ayumi
  • Natsumi
  • Moe
Past Members:
  • Mitsuru
  • Kai
  • Misa
  • Misaki
  • Vivi

Bridear (stylized as BRIDEAR) is a Japanese power metal band from Fukuoka, formed in 2011. It currently consists of singer Kimi, guitarists Moe and Ayumi, bassist Haru, and drummer Natsumi.[1] They are represented by Zest and release music under the Avex Trax label.

History

Bridear was founded in Fukuoka in 2011 by singer Kimi, guitarist Mitsuru, and bassist Haru.[2] Support drummer Kai became an official member in February 2012.[2] Second guitarist Misa joined the band in April, and Bridear had their first live that same month at Spiral Factory.[2] Kimi, Haru, and Kai were previously in a band together, while Mitsuru and Misa were recruited from a website specifically for finding musicians.[2] The demo "Pray/Another Name" was released in August 2012.[3] First single "Thread of the Light/Roulette", released through Rock Stakk,[4] and the extended play Overturn the Doom, through Movement Records, were released the following year.

In the subsequent two years, the single "Light in the Dark/No Salvation" (2014) and concert video Dear Bride (2015) were released. In March 2016, the band released their debut album, Baryte, which was released by Radtone Music, and promoted with an extensive tour of Japan. The EP released in 2017, Rise, was also released by Radtone. Citing musical differences, Misa left Bridear following an October 28, 2017 concert.[5] She was replaced by Misaki, who made her live debut with the band on April 22, 2018.[6] Another EP, Helix, was released on April 11, 2018, this time on Universal Music Japan. Another concert video, Live Tour 2018 Marcasite, was also released in 2018. After seven years, Mitsuru left the band after their December 30, 2018 concert, citing various differences about the direction of the band, both musical and otherwise.[7] In 2019, Bridear joined the talent management agency[8] and switched to the label Avex Trax and released their second studio album Expose Your Emotions at the end of the same year.

In May 2021, the band released their third album, Bloody Bride, which was released internationally by Setsuzoku Records. In September and October 2021, the group toured several European cities.[9] [10] Misaki took medical leave in June 2022[11] and announced her departure from the band on July 11, replaced immediately by Moe.[12] [13]

Style

According to Fabian Zeitlinger from Metalinside.de, Bridear stand out from other Japanese all-girl rock bands with their more modern sound, described as more of a "metalized" version of Band-Maid than melodic power metal like Aldious or Lovebites. On Bloody Bride, the group oscillates between aggressive power metal with double bass and poppy alternative metal. The band's lyrics are written in both Japanese and English.[14] In a review on JRock News, Bloody Bride is described as a "marriage" between hard rock and progressive metal and a worthy successor to Expose Your Emotions.[15] Shawn Kupfer, in his review for Idobi, describes the music as "fast-paced power metal with pop music sensibilities", evocative of X Japan's Blue Blood era, and concluded that Bridear's music shares the DNA of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal while also breaking new ground.[16]

Members

Current members

Former members

Discography

Studio:4
Video:2
Ep:3
Singles:4

Albums

TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions
JPN
Oricon

[17]
JPN
Billboard

Hot
[18]
JPN
Billboard
Top
[19]
Baryte
  • Released: March 23, 2016
  • Label: Radtone Music
6362
Expose Your Emotions
  • Released: December 4, 2019
  • Label: Avex Trax
109
Bloody Bride
  • Released: April 14, 2021
  • Label: Avex Trax, Setsuzoku Records
6210051
Aegis of Athena
  • Released: April 20, 2022
  • Label: Avex Trax
526849
Born Again
  • Released: June 28, 2024
  • Label: Avex Trax
align="center"-align="center"-align="center"-
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart.

EPs

TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions
JPN
Oricon
[20]
JPN
Billboard
Top
Overturn the Doom
  • Released: December 18, 2013
  • Label: Movement Records
285
Rise
  • Released: March 15, 2017
  • Label: Radtone Music
70
Helix 7269
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart.

Singles

TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum
JPN
Oricon

"Pray/Another Name"2012align="center" rowspan="3"
"Thread of the Light/Roulette"
"Light in the Dark/No Salvation"2014115
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart.

Digital singles

DVD

TitleDetailsPeak positions
JPN
Oricon
[21]
Dear Bride
  • Released: April 22, 2015
  • Label: Movement Records
114
Live Tour 2018 Marcasite
  • Released: August 8, 2018
  • Label: Red Hill Recordings
99

References

  1. Web site: BRIDEAR . 2022-07-14 . JaME.
  2. Web site: JaME's Rising Stars of 2015: BRIDEAR . 2022-07-14 . JaME. 4 December 2014 .
  3. Web site: Pray / Another name BRIDEAR . 2022-07-10 . JaME.
  4. Web site: Thread Of The Light / Roulette BRIDEAR . 2022-07-10 . JaME.
  5. Web site: Misa to Leave BRIDEAR . 2022-07-14 . JaME. 29 September 2017 .
  6. Web site: New Mini-Album from BRIDEAR . 2022-07-14 . JaME. 12 January 2018 .
  7. Web site: Mitsuru to Leave BRIDEAR . 2022-07-14 . JaME. 24 December 2018 .
  8. 1147113156407263232. bridear_info . ja:BRIDEARは株式会社Zestへ所属することが決定致しました。. BRIDEAR has decided to be affiliated with Zest Corporation..
  9. Web site: 2022-02-24 . New Album from BRIDEAR . 2022-06-21 . JaME.
  10. Web site: Discography BRIDEAR OFFICIAL WEBSITE . 2022-06-24 . Discography BRIDEAR OFFICIAL WEBSITE.
  11. Web site: G Andrew White . 2022-06-20 . Guitarist MISAKI on hiatus as BRIDEAR prepares for Japan tour . 2022-07-12 . JROCK NEWS . en-US.
  12. Web site: 2022-07-11 . MISAKI 脱退および新メンバー MOE 加入のお知らせ BRIDEAR OFFICIAL WEBSITE . 2022-07-13 . MISAKI 脱退および新メンバー MOE 加入のお知らせ BRIDEAR OFFICIAL WEBSITE.
  13. Web site: 2022-07-11 . Notice of MISAKI's Withdrawal and New Member Joining BRIDEAR . live . https://archive.today/20220713191221/https://www.bridear.world/ . 2022-07-13 . 2022-07-13 . Bridear.world . en.
  14. Web site: Bloody Bride . 2022-06-21 . metalinside - Das Rock und Metal Online-Magazin . de.
  15. Web site: G Andrew White . 2021-04-29 . Review: BRIDEAR offers "Bloody Bride" album for metal matrimony . 2022-06-21 . JROCK NEWS . en-US.
  16. Web site: Kupfer . Shawn . May 7, 2021 . Album Review: BRIDEAR – Bloody Bride . June 21, 2022 . Idobi.
  17. Web site: Bridearのアルバム売上ランキング. Oricon. ja. 2022-07-10.
  18. Peak chart positions for albums on Billboard Japan's Hot Albums chart:
  19. Peak chart positions for albums on Billboard Japan's Top Albums chart:
  20. Web site: Bridearのシングル売上ランキング. Oricon. ja. 2022-07-15.
  21. Web site: BridearDVDの売上ランキング. Oricon. ja. 2022-07-15.