It’s funny how far the Japanese metal band Bridear have come in the last few years. Ever since they exploded onto the scene in 2016 they have been by far one of the most consistent and electrifying bands that I've had the pleasure of listening to. Granted, I didn’t get on this hype train until their 2021 album Bloody Bride, yet ever since I have been a firm fan of their work. Their mix of power metal and classic metal stylings has gripped me so intensely. As a British metal fan, I’ve grown up with many of the classic standards for heavy metal. So I can tell you that Bridear fits quite well into the category of bands that remind me of; older metal bands but somehow are a new take on the genre at the same time! This album Born Again is their follow-up to the highly acclaimed Age of Athena and this one is another notch in the proverbial bed-post. It's a rip-roaring album that hits all its high points with energy and commands the metal world’s attention.
The album opens with the high-octane single “Still Burning” and from there, the album just doesn’t let up with the intense riffs and blistering solos. On this record, the band even ventured into metalcore and other metal subgenre elements. “Empty Mind” springs to mind in that effect, with its more punchy riffs and spaced choral lines. You can feel the weight of it as the drums and bass clash and then you get that top-class guitar solo. It just has that quality of metalcore track from the mid-2000s. I think the production, as a whole, is much better than their last couple of albums, for my taste anyway. With much more of an emphasis on the tight rhythm, you can feel the interlocking pieces of the bass and drums as they create a powerful and commanding base layer for each track. This allows the guitar solos to punch harder and the vocals to soar higher! Some licks and riff moments remind me of Saxon or Warlock and at other times they punch as hard as Killswitch Engage. From a tonal perspective, it just leaves me awestruck.
Listening to this album you can tell that Fredrik Nordström produced it. It just has his fingerprints all over it. It’s the same level of quality that you’d expect from any project coming out of Studio Fredman. You can feel that fiery intensity on tracks like “Real is Real” and “Braver Words”. This album feels so uncompromising on Bridear’s usual appeal, so the newer elements don’t feel like unnecessary fluff, it feels like a natural extension of their sound and an exploration into what this band could be in the future. This is exemplified in the closing track of the record, “Die Like This”. This is a first for them, a song that features a guest vocalist. That honour goes to Nick Night of Dream Evil. I have to say it fits so well into their sound. This not only adds some beautiful harmony to the vocal tracks but also a contrast to Kimi’s usual intense delivery.
I think this record is a fiery addition to their ever-growing repertoire. Bridear is an excellent example of taking what has worked for many years and expanding on the ideas to broaden their sound beyond their usual horizons. Born Again is an interesting record that should keep their current fanbase satiated, while also expanding their reach to attract new fans. Time will tell if this move pays off for them. For me, I genuinely welcome this new record. Their rough and ready sound paves the way for expansion and I think Nordström did a stellar job with this record. The pieces fit together to make an album with plenty of energy and was clearly a labour of passion.
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