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「1」

“Road,” the final song of the new BRIDEAR album Aegis of Athena, explodes out of the speakers in an absolute paroxysm of joy. It is a fitting conclusion to another ecstatic and exhilarating exploration of human emotions by one of the most creative rock bands in the world.

Aegis of Athena is an album that evokes images of a world in crisis. The opening song “Side of a Bullet” states “desolation mocks us.” In “Ray of Chaos,” the narrator lives in “a world where all is burned to the ground”. Yet despite the apocalyptic imagery, Aegis Of Athena is ultimately an inspiring testament to the indominable human spirit.

「2」

The title of the album provides context for the trajectory of the album. In Greek mythology, the aegis of Athena is the shield provided by that goddess to human beings whom she deems worthy of her protection. Aegis of Athena begins with a spoken introduction reminiscent of the introductions to BABYMETAL concerts. It describes a world in crisis and once more in need of divine protection. For those of us who live in “Hellscape America,” – mass shootings, dismantling of women’s rights to choose health care options, corporate destruction of the environment – this sense that only divine intervention can help us is only too familiar.

The Cambridge Journal of Hellenic Studies describes the aegis:

Athena’s aegis is characterized by a yellow or gold reminiscent of the gleam of the sun or of metal, which expresses a general divine gleaming brightness but also Athena’s specific charis, namely the beauty, vitality and sparkling (or cunning) attractiveness that she can bestow on mortals under her protection. The dark or even black aegis (kyanaigis or melanaigis), by contrast, expresses the dark, wrathful and furious side of the goddess. Brightly shimmering or darkly obscuring, the aegis refers to Athena’s protective, yet also potentially destructive, power.

The aegis may have been a shield or animal skin. Regardless of physical form, the aegis represents a point of contact between the world of the gods and the world of men and women.

「3」

The spoken word introduction stops short of calling upon Athena once again. But it does describe a necessary process:

Crawl up from the depths of despair

Grasp the freedom to dream

Be prepared

Follow us

But Aegis of Athena is not a political tract. It makes no reference to the climate crisis or any other current event. Like all BRIDEAR works, it is an intensely personal album. It speaks to individuals’ struggles to overcome hardships (“Road”). It has anthems to perseverance (“Determination”). And it speaks to the joys (“With Me”) and obsessions (“Greed”) of ecstatic romantic love.

「4」

“Road,” written by drummer NATSUMI with English language lyrics by the iconic vocalist KIMI, is the conclusive celebration of triumph over “hard and steep” challenges. At one point in the song, KIMI sings:

We’re not trying to fill each other up by licking our wounds;

We’ve shared the pain and we’ve overcome it;

It’s not weakness, it’s courage.

「5」

But Aegis of Athena is not a simple journey from darkness to light. Rather, it is a documentation of the difficult roads that face an individual. There is progress, but there are also roadblocks. The lyrics of KIMI, MISAKI, AYUMI and guest Kobayashi Masaharu (“BRAVE NEW WORLD REVISITED”) provide a multi-faceted view of the triumphs and setbacks of being human. It is a rewarding listening experience to reflect on the challenging, yet intelligent lyrics.

The word “ecstatic” has already appeared twice in this review. And that is no accident. The songs of BRIDEAR have always been thrillingly climactic. The at times harsh melodic lines of the verses often shatter into blistering and impassioned choruses. Listen to MISAKI’s composition “The Bathtub,” HARU’s “Lodestar” or KIMI’s “Past in Emerald” for examples of how the chorus can burst into a riveting emotional climax.

「6」

The transcendent intersection of the human and the divine has been an important theme in religions of the world in the centuries since the age of the Greek gods. A famous example in Christianity specifically uses the word “ecstasy” to describe the emotional state that results from such contact.

“The Ecstasy of St. Teresa,” a sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in the church of Santa Maria del Vittoria in Rome, has long been considered one of the most iconic representations of the intersection between the human and the divine. Therefore, it represents a Christian analogue of the aegis of Athena. In the sculpture, an angel prepares to pierce St. Teresa’s heart with an arrow. The earth and the heavens meet, resulting in a joy beyond description. St. Teresa of Avila herself wrote a description of the experience:

I saw in his hand a long spear of gold, and at the iron’s point there seemed to be a little fire. He appeared to me to be thrusting it at times into my heart, and to pierce my very entrails; when he drew it out, he seemed to draw them out also, and to leave me all on fire with a great love of God. The pain was so great, that it made me moan; and yet so surpassing was the sweetness of this excessive pain, that I could not wish to be rid of it. The soul is satisfied now with nothing less than God. The pain is not bodily, but spiritual, although the body has its share in it. It is a caressing of love so sweet which now takes place between the soul and God… (from Wikipedia)

Many commentators have stated that St. Teresa’s description of her encounter with the divine appears to be overtly sensual. Bernini worked in the 17^th Century. Nevertheless, in the expression of St. Teresa, who appears to be in a trance, he was able to convey this ecstatic communion of divine and human love.

「7」

BRIDEAR evoke that dazzling intersection of mental (divine) and physical (human) states in its songs about romantic love on Aegis of Athena. Those songs describe the collision of two human souls in an ecstatic embrace. For example, in the closing lines of “With Me,” the narrator begs her lover:

“Stay with me

So that I don’t lose myself

Wishing for eternity

Stay like this forever

Never-ending dark illusion.

Those are some truly ambiguous lyrics, especially since the first verse states that “there’s no doubt; there is no distrust; there are no such things between us.”

「8」

In “Greed,” KIMI plays the role of obsessive lover to perfection:

It doesn’t matter what I do,

I’ll never let you go.

No matter what they think,

No matter what say,

Because this life is mine alone.

KIMI goes on to sing:

Greed is a virtue;

Don’t you think so?

No one else should have the right to tie you down.

Those are just great lyrics. They are a probing exploration of the doubts and desires that occur when two individuals decide to trust and love one another. The lyrics are especially impressive coming from someone for whom English is a second language.

「9」

Even if the listener doesn’t particularly care about analyzing the lyrics, BRIDEAR provide plenty of aural excitement. There are moments of melodic genius in almost every BRIDEAR song, regardless of which of the five women wrote the song.

Aegis of Athena includes two epic length songs that contain multiple parts. That is something new in the BRIDEAR catalog. “Side of a Bullet,” which opens the album, begins slowly, with acoustic guitars backing KIMI’s vocals. The song quickly jumps into a dramatic metal guitar riff. The verses cycle through various contrasting melodies. There are sudden changes of pace for instrumental breaks. It is the kind of song that YES pioneered in the early 1970s. Even the first lead guitar break is reminiscent of one of Steve Howe’s more chaotic solos. The previously released “BRAVE NEW WORLD REVISITED” is similar in its ever-shifting structure. Its introductory acoustic guitars are also reminiscent of YES.

「10」

The guitarist AYUMI has once again written the most unique song on the album. AYUMI was responsible for the gorgeous three acoustic guitar ballad “You” on Expose Your Emotions. On Aegis of Athena, AYUMI’s “Ray of Chaos” is the kind of hard-edged blues – if with a bit more sharp, dangerous edges – that one would expect from GLIM SPANKY’s masterful duo of Matsuo Remi and Kamemoto Hiromi.

The guitars on “Ray of Chaos” have a mildly-distorted crunch that provide the perfect punctuation to the verses and chorus. The brief mosquito-zapping of a guitar prior to the first chorus and the key change  after the bridge are examples of brilliant arranging skills.  AYUMI’s solo is tasteful and restrained. But the solo is a perfect transition to the bridge.

「11」

The bluesy solo on “Ray of Chaos” is remarkable by its contrast to what MISAKI and AYUMI usually deliver. In most cases, their solos are either shimmering sparkles of a shooting star or short sharp jabs of a dangerous dagger. AYUMI’s solo in “Determination” is an example of the shooting stars. MISAKI’s solo in “Greed” is an example of the dangerous thrusts of a stiletto. But both guitarists are capable of solos that are completely out of left field.

One notable difference from the two prior albums by this lineup is that many of the songs feature complex single note guitar lines behind the verses. That was one of the features of the original line-up. It is a sign of the band’s willingness to constantly search for both new and old ways to heighten the intensity of their songs.

「12」

NATSUMI’s drum work is always exciting, unexpected and interesting. NATSUMI’s accents and changeups in “Greed” and “Determination” are examples of her innate ability to enhance a song. The fact that “Road,” the ecstatic climax to the album, was written by NATSUMI is a testament to the strength of the songwriting skills of BRIDEAR.

Bassist HARU contributes two stand-out tracks, “Lodestar” and “BRAVE NEW WORLD REVISITED” in addition to her insistent contributions on bass. KIMI’s vocals have a precision that may have been somewhat lacking in previous releases. This may be based on the impression that her English language skills have improved so dramatically from early works. Most importantly, she has lost none of the passion that has made her such an engaging vocalist. “Preference” is an example of how deeply KIMI can engage with the subject matter of a song.

「13」

One of the t-shirts issued in connection with the release of the album features the phrase “pathetic human emotions” under a human skull. Well, love can make a person feel that way. The hidden message of Aegis of Athena may be that the protection of the goddess of wisdom and war is really needed in the inevitable conflict that occurs when two people stake their hopes on each other. The pangs of ambiguity haunt many of the songs, including in the Japanese lyrics of “Bathtub” and “Lodestar.”

BRIDEAR express the enigmas and uncertainties of love and existence in a rich and rewarding musical idiom. The songs are multi-layered, ever-shifting landscapes of sound. BRIDEAR’s songs have both scorching metallic intensity and soaring melodic beauty. The screaming electric guitars of MISAKI and AYUMI, the thundering bass of HARU, the intricate drumming of NATSUKI, and the always passionate vocals of KIMI are perfect vehicles for the soaring and, again, ecstatic melodies.

「14」

Aegis of Athena continues the upward trajectory of BRIDEAR that began with the album Expose Your Emotions¸ released in December 2019. It is one of the glories of Japanese rock music that bands release great album after great album in short periods of time.

BRIDEAR have now delivered three spectacular albums in a period of two and a half years. Music is subjective, but BRIDEAR have proven themselves to be one of the most creative and fascinating hard rock bands in the world.

Postscript: Sadly, the guitarist and songwriter MISAKI, who replaced original member Misa, has announced her departure from BRIDEAR. The reason – health – is the standard one given by Japanese rock bands. Regardless, one wishes MISAKI the best. The band has announced MOE as MISAKI’s replacement. BRIDEAR has reinvented itself before, and there is no doubt that it will do so once again.

For the Japanese version of this article, please click on “Japanese” at the top of the page.

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Illustration concept and realization by @nroe9 (Insta). “The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa” by Gian Lorenzo Bernino overlaid on the cover of “Aegis of Athena” by BRIDEAR.