Bridearブライディア
power, melodic metal · Fukuoka
- Japanese name
- ブライディア [WJA]
- Founded
- 2011
- Interview
- The Music Cities™ interview: BRIDEAR, Hardest Thing To Take Back Is A Future You Destroyed Yourself
- City
- Fukuoka
- Status as of 24 September 2026
- active
- Connections
- 17 edges, 17 distinct neighbors · betweenness 0.080 (rank 10 of 324) · personnel only 0.001 (rank 42)
- Confidence
- High · sources: [W] [WBR] [JMB] [FMW] [LSB] [DSM] [OZT] [HPR] [BWB] [SGA] [AVO] [JMC] [INS] [NPG] [BRS] [SGB] [BRX] [THJ] [BRJ] [CMB] [CFB] (register)
Formed November 2011 in Fukuoka by Kimi (vocals), Mitsuru (guitar) and Haru (bass), who had met in mixed bands, with Kai (drums, from February 2012) and Misa (guitar, April 2012 to October 2017); live debut April 2012 at Spiral Factory, Fukuoka, first show outside Fukuoka in Nagoya in August 2012. Early bills tie the band to the Tokyo scene before it had a Tokyo address: opening for Yousei Teikoku (March 2014) and a two man show with Light Bringer at Beat Station, Fukuoka (July 2014). Overturn the Doom (2013, Movement Records), Baryte (2016), Helix (2018, Universal Music Japan War Rock), then Avex Trax for Expose Your Emotions (December 2019) and Aegis of Athena (April 2022). Export in stages: Mondocon Budapest and Made in Asia Brussels (2017); Metal Matsuri, London (October 2019), which led to the UK label Setsuzoku Records, formed by the festival's organizer Orion Live, for Bloody Bride (April 2021); a European tour in September and October 2021 that the band's own biography reports as the first by a Japanese artist after the onset of the pandemic; Born Again (June 2024, IYT and Psychomanteum Records) recorded at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg with Fredrik Nordström. The tour the band billed as its first world tour, Into the World Forever, opened with five nights in Australia supporting Dream Evil, the Gothenburg band Nordström founded, 31 October to 4 November 2024 (Brisbane, Canberra, Sydney and two nights in Melbourne; Dream Evil's Perth date on 10 November was without Bridear), and a Tokyo homecoming at Spotify O-WEST on 16 November 2024. The European and UK leg (19 March to 12 April 2025) was canceled on 20 February 2025 for Kimi's throat treatment; Reborn 2013-2016, a self cover mini album, followed on 16 April 2025, and the year's one overseas date was Zurbarán Rock Burgos, Spain, 19 July 2025, with all five members. Natsumi's departure was announced on 28 December 2025; she played as a support member until her last show, Toward a New Horizon, Shibuya Star Lounge, 10 May 2026, and the sources used name no successor on drums. A CAMPFIRE crowdfunding campaign, 25 August to 30 September 2026, to record and release new music independently after a contract dispute with an unnamed former overseas label had stopped distribution of some releases and restricted activity abroad, closed at ¥6,101,277 from 380 supporters, 203 percent of the ¥3,000,000 goal. Current members Kimi, Ayumi, Moe and Haru; earlier lineup Mitsuru (to December 2018), Kai (to 2019), Misaki (2018 to July 2022, and support guitar for the August and September 2025 dates while Moe was off the stage); Ayumi and Natsumi joined in 2019, Moe in 2022. The band's biography counts performances in 11 countries. Within this dataset the most extensively documented export run by any band based outside the Tokyo hub.
Connections
People and personnel
- founderKimiVocals; co founder and leaderNovember 2011 to present
- founderHaruBass; co founderNovember 2011 to present
- founderMitsuruGuitar; co founder, left after the 30 December 2018 showNovember 2011 to 2018
- memberAyumiGuitar2019 to present
- memberNatsumiDrums; departure announced 28 December 2025, played as a support member until her last show on 10 May 20262019 to 2026
- memberMoeGuitar2022 to present
- produced byFredrik Nordströmフレドリック・ノルドストロームBorn Again, recorded at Studio Fredman, Gothenburg2024
Labels, festivals, collaborations
- collaborationYousei Teikoku妖精帝國Opened for Yousei Teikoku at Gegenangriff: zweit, 9 March 20142014
- collaborationDream Evilドリーム・イーヴルSupport on Dream Evil's debut Australian tour, five nights from 31 October to 4 November 2024, the opening and only completed overseas leg of the tour Bridear billed as its first world tour2024
- collaborationLight Bringerライト・ブリンガーTwo man show at Beat Station, Fukuoka, July 20142014
- collaborationStudio Fredmanスタジオ・フレッドマンBorn Again recorded with Fredrik Nordström2024
- labelAvex TraxExpose Your Emotions (2019), Aegis of Athena (2022)2019 to 2022
- labelSetsuzoku RecordsBloody Bride (2021), Aegis of Athena international edition2021 to 2022
- labelPsychomanteum RecordsBorn Again (June 2024)2024 to present
- festival / venueBeat StationEdge of Infinity series from February 2014; Light Bringer two man show, July 20142014
- festival / venueMetal MatsuriLondon, October 2019; the appearance that led to Setsuzoku Records2019
- festival / venueLunar FestBooked for 4 December 2026 on the bill announced in May; removed with every Japanese act on 6 September 2026 when the organizers could not fund the Nordic and Japanese format2026