BRIDEAR
The love child born of the union of J-pop and British metal
WORDS: DAVID WEST
IN SHORT
SOUNDS LIKE: Stock Aitken Waterman gatecrashing the NWOBHM
FOR FANS OF: Amaranthe, Helloween, Lovebites
LISTEN TO: Daybreak
WHEN JAPANESE METAL quintet Bridear played their first UK show in 2019, in what vocalist Kimi calls “the holy land of rock and metal”, they visited the site of the old Marquee Club. It was an act of homage to a venue that was vital to the NWOBHM, a sound that is a constant inspiration for the Fukuoka band. “I was so moved by the fact that Iron Maiden, Def Leppard etc had played there that I decided I wanted to make an album that respected the metal scene of that era,” says bassist Haru.