Bloody Bride

I’ll say this about Bridear; they certainly have a knack for obtaining amazing drummers. When I first spun Bloody Bride (having missed out on Expose Your Emotions from 2019), I assumed it was just the mighty Kai being all Kai-like. But nope, along with the original guitarists, she’s gone, and this drummer named Natsumi took her place. And I gotta say, Natsumi absolutely smokes on that kit, a more than worthy replacement, and that’s saying a whole lot since Kai was a no-joke bash-master. Check out the song “Keshin”, an oddly constructed tune in which Natsumi seems to be perpetually shifting tempo gears like an F-1 racer, and yet the song flows as smooth as fucking silk. Such a busy woman, creative as hell and with flair and groove to boot. A new queen on the drum throne.

I haven’t really followed Bridear for a few years, and while there’s still some groove-core elements, they’re dialed down considerably in favor of a more power metal attack with some pop-rock thrown in, particularly concerning the last batch of tunes as “A Glorious World” can attest. But the fast, melodic and heavy shit is still the main squeeze by far, and the inclusion of English lyrics on some songs gives me the impression that they’re looking beyond their borders with international distribution of their output. Not a surprise considering the attention Lovebites gets.

A few groovy-ass moments do give Bridear an individual flair, and I’m cool with it except for the (thankfully) rare growls that pop up. When Misa was onboard, the growls had some oomph, but damn the growls that pop up on this release sound like one of the members suffering from a terrible stomach ache. Original and current singer Kimi still delivers, displaying her versatility between power-belting during the songs with crank and a higher-pitched tone for the lighter tracks. It’s a formula that seems to work.

Some odd production issues like the obnoxious drum-mix during the first few tracks aside, Bridear certainly righted their ship after the departure of multiple members, something I wasn’t actually expecting. The guitarists have skills and I don't see them having issues playing the band's old catalog. I’m actually proud of Bridear for barreling on with this new roster, and I can listen to this album on repeat just to hear Natsumi’s magic with the sticks. She’s righteous.