Western metal bands seem to have a fondness for recording live albums in Japan. It’s given us classics like Deep Purple’s
Made in Japan, Judas Priest’s Unleashed in the East, and several from frequent flyers
Whitesnake. Perhaps it’s only fair that a Japanese metal band should return the favour and record a live album in the land where heavy metal was born.
The live album is something of a lost art form these days, somewhat superseded by live streaming and concert DVDs. The truly landmark live album, capturing a defining moment in a band’s career, seems to be in short supply. History has yet to decide
whether that’s the case with Aegis of London…LIVE!, but the album marks a significant point in BRIDEAR’s story, being the first recording with a new line-up.
BRIDEAR have had more than their fair share of line-up turbulence over the years and their sound has evolved as original guitarists Misa and Mitsuru departed over musical differences, shortly followed by drummer Kai. The
latest shakeup came just weeks after the release of their last album Aegis
of Athena, when guitarist Misaki left the band for health reasons. Luckily, Japan is a land where spectacularly skilled guitarists seem to grow on trees, almost as abundantly as cherry blossoms, and replacement Moe was soon recruited.
Like BRIDEAR, she hails from Fukuoka, and could be found in the crowd at BRIDEAR gigs back in the day.
There’s no doubt how much BRIDEAR value their international fanbase. When the COVID travel restrictions were initially lifted in 2021, they were among the first Japanese bands to dust off their passports and head to the airport. The shadow
of COVID was still hanging over the Japanese live music scene in 2022 with venues caught in a tangled web of mask mandates and cheering bans, so it made sense that BRIDEAR would opt for a more relaxed overseas venue to record their first live album.
The London stop of the UK leg of their
Decide to Survive European tour was chosen and the chaotic energy of a beer-fuelled British audience, determined to have a good time, served as a perfect backdrop.
You might think a band would hit the opening with something quick and punchy to get the crowd going straight away, but BRIDEAR are as bold as they are ambitious and they kicked the show off with Side of a Bullet, a nine-minute progressive
metal symphony. There’s a hell of a lot going on in this track, but it demonstrates perfectly what a tight unit BRIDEAR are, and it’s also evident how quickly Moe settled in. She trades intricate solos with Ayumi like she’s been in
the band all along, while Natsumi manages the complex ebb and flow of rhythms. The drummer impressed during her stint with the short lived TELECiDE, and she’s only gotten better since joining BRIDEAR.
The set list is dominated by tracks from their two most recent albums, 2022’s Aegis of Athena and 2021’s Bloody Bride, though they also delve further into their back catalogue with the crowd pleasers Ignite and Light in the Dark,
in which Haru unleashes some gnarly growling. Never afraid to switch things up, they mix their trademark power metal sound with other influences.
After the quick-fire metal blast of Daybreak and The Moment, they flit effortlessly between genres with the bluesy Ray
of Chaos, another prog odyssey in Brave New World Revisited, the atmospheric instrumental Helix, and the driving rock of Determination. As the show draws to a close, the crowd is treated to fan favourites
Ghoul and Bloody Bride and finally propelled across the finish line with Again, driven by Natsumi’s furious drumming.
BRIDEAR have turned to one of the top European metal producers, Fredrik Nordström, to recreate the atmosphere of the night and he’s done a first-class job of mixing and mastering Aegis Of
London…LIVE! The instruments are well balanced and clearly defined and Kimi’s vocals are given a light touch that captures the authentic raw edge of the live performance. Haru’s growling vocal counterpoint comes across as suitably gruff
and aggressive without overwhelming everything.
The crowd played its part to the full on the night. The audience's enthusiasm and energy is a constant buzzing presence, kept tastefully low in the mix but brought to the fore between songs. There might have been a few production shenanigans here,
perhaps a little layering and reverb added to imply BRIDEAR had filled a venue grander than the cosy confines of the Boston Music Room, but it gives you a real sense of what it was like to be among the fans, cheering, chanting and clapping all
night.
Aegis of London…LIVE! does exactly what a live album should, capturing the atmosphere in the venue and proving that the band members have got the chops to bring it to the stage. The technical brilliance of BRIDEAR shines through, with
a live sound that’s remarkably close to their polished studio recordings.
You can count yourself fortunate if you were there that night to witness the action, but even if you weren’t, your luck is still in. Aegis of London…LIVE! catches BRIDEAR at the top of their game.
The album is available for purchase
on CD internationally from British label SETSUZOKU RECORDS. It is also available via Bandcamp,
and links to download and stream the release on Apple Music, Spotify, and other platforms can be found here.
