Bridear
{{Short description|Japanese power metal band}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| background = group_or_band
| origin = Fukuoka, Japan
| genre = Power metal
| years_active = 2011–present
| label = {{hlist|Movement|Bakuon!|UMJ/War Rock|Red Hill|Avex Trax|IYT|Setsuzoku|Psychomanteum}}
| current_members = {{plainlist|
- Kimi
- Haru
- Ayumi
- Natsumi
- Moe
}}
| past_members = {{plainlist|
- Mitsuru
- Kai
- Misa
- Misaki
- Vivi
}}
| website = {{official website|https://www.bridear.world/}}
}}
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.{{Cite web |title=BRIDEAR |url=https://www.jame-world.com/en/artist/2359/bridear |access-date=2022-07-14 |website=JaME}} They are represented by Zest and release music under IYT Records.
History
Bridear was founded in Fukuoka in 2011 by singer Kimi, guitarist Mitsuru, and bassist Haru.{{Cite web |title=JaME's Rising Stars of 2015: BRIDEAR |url=https://www.jame-world.com/en/article/129172-jame-s-rising-stars-of-2015-bridear.html |access-date=2022-07-14 |website=JaME|date=4 December 2014 }} Support drummer Kai became an official member in February 2012. Second guitarist Misa joined the band in April, and Bridear had their first live that same month at Spiral Factory. Kimi, Haru, and Kai were previously in a band together, while Mitsuru and Misa were recruited from a website specifically for finding musicians. The demo "Pray/Another Name" was released in August 2012.{{Cite web |title=Pray / Another name {{!}} BRIDEAR |url=https://www.jame-world.com/en/release/40493-pray-another-name-bridear-demo-cd.html |access-date=2022-07-10 |website=JaME}} First single "Thread of the Light/Roulette", released through Rock Stakk,{{Cite web |title=Thread Of The Light / Roulette {{!}} BRIDEAR |url=https://www.jame-world.com/en/release/40494-thread-of-the-light-roulette-bridear-single-cd.html |access-date=2022-07-10 |website=JaME}} 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 Bakuon! Baku-on. Ca. Citing musical differences, Misa left Bridear following an October 28, 2017 concert.{{Cite web |title=Misa to Leave BRIDEAR |url=https://www.jame-world.com/en/news/143793-misa-to-leave-bridear.html |access-date=2022-07-14 |website=JaME|date=29 September 2017 }} She was replaced by Misaki, who made her live debut with the band on April 22, 2018.{{Cite web |title=New Mini-Album from BRIDEAR |url=https://www.jame-world.com/en/news/145091-new-mini-album-from-bridear.html |access-date=2022-07-14 |website=JaME|date=12 January 2018 }} Another EP, Helix, was released on April 11, 2018, this time on Universal Music Japan's War Rock label. 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.{{Cite web |title=Mitsuru to Leave BRIDEAR |url=https://www.jame-world.com/en/news/148823-mitsuru-to-leave-bridear.html |access-date=2022-07-14 |website=JaME|date=24 December 2018 }} In 2019, Bridear joined the {{Ill|Zest (talent agency)|lt=Zest|ja|ゼスト}} talent management agency{{Cite tweet|number=1147113156407263232|user=bridear_info |script-title=ja:BRIDEARは株式会社Zestへ所属することが決定致しました。|trans-title=BRIDEAR has decided to be affiliated with Zest Corporation.}} 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.{{Cite web |date=2022-02-24 |title=New Album from BRIDEAR |url=https://www.jame-world.com/en/news/160029-new-album-from-bridear.html |access-date=2022-06-21 |website=JaME}}{{Cite web |title=Discography {{!}} BRIDEAR OFFICIAL WEBSITE |url=https://bridear.jp/discography/ |access-date=2022-06-24 |website=Discography {{!}} BRIDEAR OFFICIAL WEBSITE}} Misaki took medical leave in June 2022{{Cite web |last=G Andrew White |date=2022-06-20 |title=Guitarist MISAKI on hiatus as BRIDEAR prepares for Japan tour |url=https://jrocknews.com/2022/06/guitarist-misaki-hiatus-bridear-prepares-japan-tour.html |access-date=2022-07-12 |website=JROCK NEWS |language=en-US}} and announced her departure from the band on July 11, replaced immediately by Moe.{{Cite web |date=2022-07-11 |title=MISAKI 脱退および新メンバー MOE 加入のお知らせ {{!}} BRIDEAR OFFICIAL WEBSITE |url=http://bridear.jp/ |access-date=2022-07-13 |website=MISAKI 脱退および新メンバー MOE 加入のお知らせ {{!}} BRIDEAR OFFICIAL WEBSITE}}{{Cite web |date=2022-07-11 |title=Notice of MISAKI's Withdrawal and New Member Joining BRIDEAR |url=https://www.bridear.world/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220713191221/https://www.bridear.world/ |archive-date=2022-07-13 |access-date=2022-07-13 |website=Bridear.world |language=en}}
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.{{Cite web |title=Bloody Bride |url=https://www.metalinside.de/review/bridear/bloody-bride |access-date=2022-06-21 |website=metalinside - Das Rock und Metal Online-Magazin |language=de}} 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.{{Cite web |last=G Andrew White |date=2021-04-29 |title=Review: BRIDEAR offers "Bloody Bride" album for metal matrimony |url=https://jrocknews.com/2021/04/review-bridear-bloody-bride.html |access-date=2022-06-21 |website=JROCK NEWS |language=en-US}} 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.{{Cite web |last=Kupfer |first=Shawn |date=May 7, 2021 |title=Album Review: BRIDEAR – Bloody Bride |url=https://idobi.com/music-reviews/album-review-bridear-bloody-bride/ |access-date=June 21, 2022 |website=Idobi}}
Members
{{col-float}}
Current members
- Kimi – lead vocals (2011–present)
- Haru – bass, backing vocals (2011–present)
- Ayumi – guitar, backing vocals (2019–present)
- Natsumi – drums (2019–present)
- Moe – guitar (2022–present)
{{col-float-break}}
Former members
- Mitsuru – guitar (2011–2018)
- Kai – drums (2012–2019)
- Misa – guitar (2012–2017)
- Misaki – guitar (2018–2022)
- Yuri – drums (2019)
- Vivi – drums (2019)
{{col-float-end}}
Discography
{{Infobox artist discography
| Artist =
| Image =
| Caption =
| Alt =
| Studio = 5
| Live = 1
| Compilation =
| Video = 2
| Music videos =
| EP = 3
| Singles = 4
| B-sides =
| Soundtrack =
}}
= Studio albums =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |
| scope="col" rowspan="2"| Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album details ! scope="col" colspan="3"| Peak chart positions |
|---|
| scope="col" style="width:4em;font-size:85%"| JPN Oricon {{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/601467/rank/album/|title=Bridearのアルバム売上ランキング|website=Oricon|language=ja|access-date=2022-07-10}} !scope="col" style="width:4em;font-size:85%"|JPN
!scope="col" style="width:4em;font-size:85%"|JPN
|
| scope="row"|Baryte
|
| align="center"|63 | align="center"|— | align="center"|62 |
| scope="row"|Expose Your Emotions
|
| align="center"|109 | align="center"|— | align="center"|— |
| scope="row"|Bloody Bride
|
| align="center"|62 | align="center"|100 | align="center"|51 |
| scope="row"|Aegis of Athena
|
| align="center"|52 | align="center"|68 | align="center"|49 |
| scope="row"|Born Again
|
| align="center" |
| align="center" |
| align="center" |
| align="center" colspan="5" style="font-size:90%" | "—" denotes a recording that did not chart. |
= EPs =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |
| scope="col" rowspan="2"| Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album details ! scope="col" colspan="2"| Peak chart positions |
|---|
| scope="col" style="width:4em;font-size:85%"| JPN Oricon {{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/601467/rank/single/|title=Bridearのシングル売上ランキング|website=Oricon|language=ja|access-date=2022-07-15}} !scope="col" style="width:4em;font-size:85%"|JPN |
| scope="row"|Overturn the Doom
|
| align="center"|285 | align="center"|— |
| scope="row"|Rise
|
| align="center"| 70 | align="center"|— |
| scope="row"|Helix
|
| align="center"| 72 | align="center"|69 |
| align="center" colspan="4" style="font-size:90%" | "—" denotes a recording that did not chart. |
= Singles =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year ! scope="col"| Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album |
| scope="col" style="width:4em;font-size:90%"| JPN Oricon |
|---|
| "Pray/Another Name"
| align="center" rowspan="2"|2012 | align="center"|— | align="center" rowspan="3" {{N/A|Non-album singles}} |
| "Thread of the Light/Roulette"
| align="center"|— |
| "Light in the Dark/No Salvation"
| align="center"|2014 | align="center"|115 |
| align="center" colspan="4" style="font-size:90%" | "—" denotes a recording that did not chart. |
==Digital singles==
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
! scope="col"| Title ! scope="col"| Year ! scope="col"| Album |
| scope="row"|"Ignite"
| align="center"|2017 | align="center"|Rise |
= DVD =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |
| scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:17em;"| Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:18em;"| Details ! scope="col"| Peak positions |
|---|
| scope="col" style="width:4em;font-size:90%"| JPN Oricon {{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/601467/rank/dvd/|title=BridearDVDの売上ランキング|website=Oricon|language=ja|access-date=2022-07-15}} |
| scope="row"|Dear Bride
|
| align="center"|114 |
| scope="row"|Live Tour 2018 Marcasite
|
| align="center"|99 |
References
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.bridear.world/}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Japanese power metal musical groups
Category:Japanese musical quintets
Category:Japanese all-female bands
Category:Musical groups established in 2011
Category:2011 establishments in Japan
Category:Universal Music Japan artists