The Protomen

[Sinister]

I don't suppose that there is anyone else out there that has heard of The Protomen? I was almost able to see them live with Duane and Brando and brentalfloss. They were only an hour away. I don't usually go in for Geekcore, but these guys are intense.

For those not in the know, they are a rock opera band that has released two albums adapting the Megaman series into a series of almost Pink Floydian Rock Opera acts.

Highly recommended, even if you are not fans of the Megaman series.

-Sin

[T.G. Oskar]

Epic songs, the works of these guys.

I'd like to stress the very concept of "rock opera": the two titles they've released thus far are related to each other, and speak of a dystopian future where basically:

SPOILER!!:

Dr. Wily rules the world, and Dr. Light is a shadow of whom he was. The first album was basically dealing with Mega Man learning about the story of Protoman, who believed that he could be a hero and save the world from Wily, but he finds a disheartened humanity and remains shattered, left for dead against the Robot Masters. Then, Mega Man resolves to do what Protoman couldn't, and he faces the same situation, except that instead of dying as a hero he rage-quits, angry towards a humanity that doesn't accept his work, while humanity starts to condemn him and claim him as to be their savior.

It chills your bones when Mega Man echoes the words of Protoman, saying "You are the dead", referring to humanity without spirit.

I'd recommend "Unrest in the House of Light", which is perhaps the best primer for The Protomen and the story behind it.

[Sinister]

Yes, because even though they're Megaman-themed, they aren't exactly canon. That's not to say they're incompatible, though. To be honest, they almost have a film-noir feel that makes you imagine a gritty bleak urbane version of the story, rather than the colorful 8-bit renderings.

I have to say that I started out listening to "Unrest in the House of Light." And that was my favorite song they did...until I heard the next one. Now, I think my favorite is "The Hounds" or "The Good Doctor," not sure.

The albums seem to feature Dr. Thomas Light more so than Megaman or even Protoman. It's more about Thomas Light vs Albert Wily. And Wily's voice is done extraordinarily well. And Light's voice is perfectly imagined.

The very avatar I'm using right now is an artist's imagining of Albert Wily as he appears in the Protomen vision of the Capcom games.

-Sin