Review Summary: A strong debut, with some growing pains here and there
Everyone has at least one semi-guilty pleasure show that they watch but feel tempted to hide, whether or not it’s actually embarrassing. Maybe it’s Real Housewives, or some other trashy reality TV show. Maybe it’s that old kids’ show that still holds up to this day. Maybe it’s that one anime that sticks out like a sore thumb amidst the other shows you like. Coincidentally, one of my guilty pleasure shows is the
Bang Dream franchise (which I shall henceforth refer to under the shortened name Bandori, which is weebier-sounding, but less accidentally suggestive), which revolves around anime girl bands, and all of the tropes you’d expect to be associated with that sort of genre.
But beneath the whole “cute anime girl” veneer, there was actually a good amount of musical talent present, and some surprisingly engaging and catchy J-Pop and J-Rock numbers, held up by the fact that several of the fictional bands’ voice actors actually played their characters’ instruments.
This long-winded introduction is mostly to set up the fact that, despite me feeling slightly embarrassed to admit that I enjoyed the show, I am not at all ashamed of enjoying the music associated with said show. Especially when the music is genuinely a good listen even outside of the show’s context.
Which is what makes Ave Mujica’s debut EP so strong for me. Bandori’s newest band has not received any story or anime focus yet (outside of two members having connections to another band, but explaining that would add 3 more paragraphs to an already lengthy setup), meaning that I can judge them purely on the strength of their music! And it’s actually insanely good.
Right off the bat, Ave Mujica’s overall sound sets itself apart somewhat from Roselia by being generally moodier and heavier. The riffs feel more metal-inspired, and the choir-style backing voices offer a more eerie sound, especially on the earlier tracks. EP highlight “Two Moons” is the prime example of this, with honest-to-god chugs propelling the track forward, and frequent use of the double bass pedal on the drums. Bandori has always been enjoyable from a musical standpoint, but it’s also generally fit into a simpler sound. Ave Mujica just decided to buck that whole damn trend and be musically engaging from the rip, and all power to them for that.
The lyrics are also an interesting highlight. Ave Mujica is part of a newer wave of Bandori projects that seem to be shooting for a darker and more mature story, dealing with issues that stretch beyond the rather simplistic band anime tropes. In keeping with this theme,
Alea jacta est’s lyrics feel far more “adult” than any of their predecessors, with explicit references to blood, sensuality, and even satanism present. It’s not exactly masterful, but it’s distinct, if you desire to dive into the translations.
It should be noted that, despite all of the praise I’ve heaped upon this band (and there is plenty of praise I haven’t expanded on, like the genuine technical skill of the drummer or the soaring vocals that propel the tracks forward), this is still part of the Bandori franchise, which means that Ave Mujica technically still fit within the idol-esque formula that previous bands had established. If you aren’t as big a fan of the other band members all singing backup at the same time, or some of the more “la-la-la"-esque backing vocals that are sprinkled throughout the EP, then this might not be the band for you. I don’t mind them personally, but I can easily see how others would mind.
For any fellow Bandori degenerates, if you pop on Ave Mujica and instantly hear shades of Roselia, the resident gothic rock band of the franchise, then good, your ears are working properly. Ave Mujica is basically Roselia, but with the heaviness turned up significantly. This is also
Alea’s biggest weakness, unfortunately, as the songs on the EP’s latter half, while still enjoyable, feel less like the heavier direction that Ave Mujica had shown on their earlier songs, and instead remain firmly stuck in Roselia’s shadow, outside of certain moments (hello “Mas?uerade” pre-chorus).
This is especially apparent in the finale, “Ave Mujica”, which feels oddly upbeat at moments compared to the other tracks. There’s enough in there to still make it feel somewhat unique (mostly the heavier metal-inspired riffage compared to Roselia’s gothic rock), but it’s clear that Ave Mujica are still finding some time to fully carve out their own identity. As of right now, the fact that I can describe their sound as “heavier Roselia” is both a strength and a weakness. Hopefully, they’ll be able to break out of that description soon enough.
