Bridear
Castle & Falcon, Birmingham – 11/9/2022
It seems we are living in the golden age of Japanese female metal bands, with Band Maid, Lovebites, and Nemophilia all blazing a trail into the Western consciousness. However, Fukuoka’s Bridear are undoubtedly the most dazzling, and barely a year since they last toured the UK, they’re back for another set of dates. That they share such an affinity with these shores should come as no surprise as there’s a definite NWOBHM influence to their brand of power metal, and that persuasion is most evident on epic opener ‘Side Of A Bullet’. It’s a progressive track of several suites, and its haunting intro gets the evening off to a rather sedate start but the band, initially standing statuesque, soon burst into life like vipers springing from a coil. Tonight’s show is the band’s fifth in six days, but they show no signs of fatigue and, a gang of whirling dervishes, they rarely let up over the next 90 action-packed minutes.
Tonight’s set is largely culled from the band’s last three albums (with half coming from latest release Aegis Of Athena) yet it reads like a “greatest hits” with ‘Daybreak’ and ‘The Moment’ fired off in quick succession. Diminutive bassist Haru has a prominent style that’s integral to the band’s sound, and locks in tightly with drummer Natsumi (who gets extra points for wearing a “Send Nudes” T-shirt) to create a powerful rhythm section. Haru also provides backing vocals in the form of unearthly guttural growls that counterpoint the ethereal singing of Kimi. I like the fact that Kimi mostly sings in her native tongue; there’s something about the Japanese language that lends itself well to heavy metal, and it certainly brings to life tracks such as ‘Dimensions’ and ‘Ignite’.
When it comes to twin guitarists heavy metal has been blessed; Tipton/Downing, Smith/Murray and Gorham/Robertson have all made the dual six-string attack a feature of the genre. Well, now you can add the combo of Ayumi/Moe to that illustrious list. Throughout the gig they riff in tandem and trade blistering solos, and while Moe is a recent addition to the group they display an obvious chemistry, and one which borders on telepathy. In short, they are a tight unit and deliver faith renditions of ‘Ghoul’, ‘Sick’ and set closer (and personal favourite) ‘Bloody Bride’. An encore is demanded, and granted, with ‘Road’ sending everyone home happy.
Review and photos by Peter Dennis