RAISE A SUILEN - Sacred world

Since its inception in 2015, Bushiroad’s “BanG Dream!” franchise has become a major boon for Japan’s ‘girls rock’ scene. Besides cultivating a dedicated international following for all-female rock bands, the franchise’s poster girls Poppin’Party topped the Oricon Singles charts in January, beating out AKB48 sister group NMB48 in the process.

They’re yet to achieve the same feat on the Oricon Albums chart, although other “BanG Dream!” affiliated acts have come close. The most recent was electro-rock quintet RAISE A SUILEN whose debut album ERA reached number two in August. Their follow-up single Sacred world, released on October 21st, saw the band performing their third tie-in song for a non-“BanG Dream!” property: the figurine-inspired anime series “Assault Lily BOUQUET”.

For Sacred world, producer Junpei Fujita toned down the rockier aspects of RAISE A SUILEN’s sound. The emphasis is firmly on electronics and the tandem vocals of orotund bassist Raychell and her motor-mouthed hype-women, keyboardist Reo Kurachi and DJ Risa Tsumugi. The dynamic between the three continues to invite not-inaccurate comparisons with Gimme Chocolate!!-era BABYMETAL.

Though Sacred world lacks some of the manic energy of songs like HELL! or HELL?, it also doesn’t feel as if it requires a moshpit to be truly appreciated. Maybe the decision to rein in the madness was taken out of consideration for TBS Television’s late-night audience. Then again, a broadside of screeching synths might have been a welcome pick-me-up for anyone watching in the early hours.