The Mighty Nein's Introductory Sequence Chose the Wrong Critical Role Track
The Mighty Nein, the newest animated adventure by Critical Role, unveiled a new opening credits. It features the beloved cast of misfits, outcasts, and rogues fighting hard and taking names, while teasing at multiple heart-wrenching personal histories for key figures including the voice actor's wizard Caleb, and another actor's orc warlock, the character Fjord.
All in all, the intro looks amazing. However, I felt that something was lost in the song choice.
The intro employs "Welcome to Wildemount", a truly stellar song created by producer and singer the talented musician. This piece originating from the official score of the same name, the second release released by Critical Role Productions LLC's music division their music brand. It's a wonderful nostalgic choice, and I believe that devotees of the sequel series will appreciate its inclusion.
Personally, The Mighty Nein's intro doesn't quite capture the hype and excitement that was part of the show's actual-play adventure. "Your Turn to Roll", written by musician Jason Charles Miller, became an immediate hit for me when it was initially unveiled in that year, and it only got better when cast member the performer added lyrics to the tune for the series' animated intro in 2018.
Including singing from Ashley Johnson, another performer, Travis Willingham, as well as Riegel himself, the track was memorable and fun. At the time, I hadn't even watched the second campaign yet, but this was such an earworm that I kept it on my phone. This track that excites you before you dive into an episode of fantasy hijinks.
The show's intro with "the new song" fails to hit the same chords for me. It's an impressive composition, but from what I know of the group, I feel that its mood is somewhat mismatched.
Of course, Critical Role has already said that the animated show will have some surprises and variations from the original live sessions. A tonal change for its intro seems to be among these.
The Mighty Nein will be released on Prime Video from November 19. If you can't wait until then, or wish to prepare to get to know the personas of the second series, the original episodes are available on the audio platform and YouTube.
