“The Mighty Nein” and “The Legend of Vox Machina” are standout animated series for a number of reasons. One of these reasons is the enthralling music. The score is composed by the acclaimed Neal Acree. A skilled and award-winning composer, Acree has worked on numerous video games, television series, and films. A fan of “Critical Role,” he brings a deep understanding of not only the genre but the original story as well.
“The Legend of Vox Machina” score takes inspiration from the more traditional fantasy fanfare. However, one of the most exciting elements of this is the evolution that the score highlights not just for the story but also for the characters. As they grow into the heroes they are destined to become, their music is intertwined not just with the physical journey, but the emotional one as well.
In an exclusive interview with Temple of Geek, Acree teases elements of “The Legend of Vox Machina” season four. He reflects on the series’ musical evolution, notably Keyleth’s. Acree also explains Taryon Darrington’s theme. He also teases how the groundwork for the Whispered One theme was laid in season one.
Neal Acree Reflects On The Evolution Of Keyleth’s Score Through The Aramenté
Temple of Geek: What has been your favorite part about getting to have the score evolve over the course of four seasons?
Neal Acree:
Getting to grow with the characters, watching the characters grow, and getting to grow as a composer myself. You feel like you know the characters, and I’m sure everyone that watches the show feels that way too; it’s one of the appeals of it. And of course the writing and the acting and everyone just put so much love into it. I was talking about planting seeds, definitely on that show with five seasons, and I’m currently working on season five. So getting to revisit thematic ideas that I started in season one, that’s so rewarding to me.
Sometimes they are accidental, like I might have done a little thing here that I realized later on, and I can totally mine that. I will say later on “That was totally the plan all along.” In some cases that was the plan all along. I think of it like an opera. You want the whole piece to be this evolving saga that has thematic ideas that will evolve over the course of the show. And again, just getting to watch the characters, you feel like you know them; you get to spend time with them. And everyone that watches the show, I watch every scene like a hundred times. So I really get in there and feel those emotions with them.
Temple of Geek: Could you talk to me about getting to have [Keyleth’s] evolution fully come into its own when we have the Aramenté come to fruition in the second and third episodes?
Neal Acree:
Yeah, I mean it is such a great character, and Marisha is the best. I love getting to take that character. She’s going through this journey, but the journey has had with every season; there has been an obstacle, a milestone, that she has achieved. So musically, there is that opportunity to have, rather than just have it be the same theme each time; she’s now evolving to another level. So musically, there’s a new theme. And the latest one, the “Pass Through Fire” theme, I call it, has kind of been the one, even though it has had different forms; that’s kind of like the final form theme because that’s been my favorite so far. I don’t want to replace that one.
The Whispered One Theme Has Already Appeared In The Legend of Vox Machina
Temple of Geek: I don’t want you to either! I love it so much! We have a new threat with the Whispered One. I know we can’t talk too much about it because we have not really seen that fully play out at this point, but what were some of the inspirations you had when you were crafting his sound?
Neal Acre:
Well, I will say just the Easter egg is that, at the end of season one, Delilah is doing this ritual that she’s summoning. I will say that theme is the basis for what comes next because, like I said, that’s a Colm [McGuinness] Easter egg, but it is really the thematic groundwork that had been laid. To take it in a completely different direction didn’t make sense. So, it’s kind of like when it came time to start working on this, I was like, “That’s already there; let’s build off of that.”
Taryon Darrington’s Music Is His Own Fanfare Playing In His Head
Temple of Geek: Talking about planting seeds. We have a new hero this season with Taryon Darrington. Could you talk to me a little bit about crafting music for him? Because I love his journey from this very silly goofball to finding his heroism down the line.
Neal Acree:
Yeah, from the very beginning, I had talked to Sam [Riegel] about this. My take on the character, especially in 4×01, the opening of season four, he’s in his own world. So musically, it was kind of like there’s this fanfare that plays. It’s almost like he is hearing this in his own head, as he is dictating his story to Doti. So there’s kind of this fanfare that plays, and it’s majestic. The way he feels about himself and what he’s doing, music is trying to do the same thing. So that’s often what you’ll hear with him on screen.
Temple of Geek: Taryon is definitely the character with his own internal theme music.
Neal Acree:
Yes, yes. So the idea is to take the internal theme and make it external. So the audience can hear it, although nobody in the show can hear it because he’s ridiculous to most people.
The first six episodes of “The Legend of Vox Machina” season 4 are available now on Prime Video. New episodes debut Wednesdays. The first three seasons are available now on Prime Video.
