The Protomen (album)

Last updated
The Protomen
Protomen album cover.jpg
Studio album by
The Protomen
ReleasedSeptember 3, 2005
Genre
Length36:53
Label
  • Self-released
  • Sound Machine (re-release)
Producer Heath Who Hath No Name [2]
The Protomen chronology
The Protomen
(2005)		 Act II: The Father of Death
(2009)

The Protomen, colloquially referred to by fans in retrospect as Act I, is the debut album release by indie rock band The Protomen. It is a rock opera loosely based on the Mega Man video game series, and the first volume of a planned trilogy of albums on this theme. The follow-up, Act II: The Father of Death , a prequel to The Protomen, was released on September 8, 2009.

Contents

Plot summary

While the plot of the album is adapted from the Mega Man games, it takes substantial liberties with the original storyline, functioning as a dystopic reworking of the games' narrative.

The album begins with a description of a dystopia ruled by Doctor Wily and his army of robots ("Hope Rides Alone"). Doctor Light apparently works for Wily's government, but by night he builds a robot to lead a rebellion against Wily -- Proto Man. After twelve years, when Proto Man is finished, he is sent to fight Wily's forces and liberate mankind—however, after defeating many of Wily's robots Proto Man is weakened, and the robot army launches a final assault. The human masses, too frightened of Wily to assist Proto Man, allow him to die. Proto Man's funeral is held. In Doctor Light's grief, he sets about destroying his laboratory, instead building a new robot, Mega Man. ("Funeral for a Son").

Years later, people still talk about Proto Man, and Doctor Light knows that Mega Man will soon find out about his brother. To dissuade Mega Man from attempting to rebel against Wily, Light tells Mega Man Proto Man's story, and explains that the people have "chosen their own end"—they will not fight to save themselves ("Unrest in The House of Light"). Mega Man angrily defies Light and sets out to defeat Wily on his own, finding Proto Man's grave-site, and amassing a crowd of people as he marches towards Wily's fortress, seeking to avenge his brother's death and to "finish what was started, the fight of Proto Man" ("The Will of One"). Mega Man is able to fight through Wily's army of robots with relative ease, reaching the commander of the robot army ("Vengeance"). However, Mega Man discovers that Proto Man never died—he now defends Wily, who has repaired him and made him the commander of his army. Proto Man declares that mankind does not deserve to be saved if they will not stand for themselves, telling Mega Man that all men are cowardly, and will never fight for themselves ("The Stand"). The two raise their weapons against each other, and argue angrily, Mega Man slowly being convinced by his brother that humanity isn't worth saving ("Sons of Fate"). Confused and encouraged by human onlookers crying out "Destroy him, you can save us, you're our only hope, kill Proto Man", Mega Man delivers a mortal wound to his brother, who tells him before he dies that humanity may one day realize how to save itself. Distraught by the grief of killing his brother, Mega Man flees from the fortress, leaving the crowd of people that had gathered to watch the battle to be slaughtered by Wily's robots ("Due Vendetta"). [3]

Critical and press reception

While the album has yet to be reviewed by major music publications, it has received favorable press from 1UP [4] and The Escapist (in the form of an interview with the band). [5] The album has gained a number of supporters from fans of the Mega Man games and music listeners in general, highlighting the storytelling, music, and dark interpretation of the game's mythology. The success of the album, bolstered by an article in the gaming magazine Nintendo Power , began a huge cult following for the band, with fans attending concerts in costumes inspired by the band's storyline and participating by way of singing along with the band's music, which was further exemplified by the group's work in Act II: The Father of Death .

In 2015, Unrest In The House Of Light appeared as a cover song on Murder By Death’s As You Wish: Kickstarter Covers Vol. 2.

Track listing

All tracks written and composed by The Protomen. [6]

No.TitleLength
1."Hope Rides Alone"5:08
2."Funeral for a Son"2:37
3."Unrest in the House of Light"3:31
4."The Will of One"4:09
5."Vengeance"3:16
6."The Stand (Man or Machine)"5:57
7."The Sons of Fate"8:12
8."Due Vendetta"4:03

Related Research Articles

<i>Mega Man</i> Video game franchise

Mega Man is a Japanese science fiction video game franchise created by Capcom, starring a series of characters each known by the name or moniker "Mega Man". The original game was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987, and spawned a franchise that expanded to over 50 games on multiple systems. As of July 2023, the series has sold 40 million units worldwide.

<i>Mega Man 2</i> 1988 video game

Mega Man 2 is an action game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released in Japan in 1988 and in North America and PAL regions the following years. Mega Man 2 continues Mega Man's battle against the evil Dr. Wily and his rogue robots. It introduced graphical and gameplay changes, many of which became series staples.

<i>Mega Man 4</i> 1991 video game

Mega Man 4 is an action-platform game developed by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the fourth game in the original Mega Man series and was originally released in Japan in 1991. The game was localized in North America the following January, and in Europe in 1993.

<i>Mega Man 5</i> 1992 video game

Mega Man 5 is an action-platform video game developed by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the fifth game in the original Mega Man series and was released in Japan on December 4, 1992. It saw a release during the same month in North America and in 1993 in Europe.

<i>Mega Man & Bass</i> 1998 video game

Mega Man & Bass is an action-platform video game developed and published by Capcom. It is a spin-off game in the original Mega Man series and was originally released in Japan for the Super Famicom on April 24, 1998. It was later ported to the Game Boy Advance (GBA) handheld in 2002, and localized in English and released the following year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dr. Wily</span> Fictional Mega Man character

Doctor Albert W. Wily is a video game character and the main antagonist of the original Mega Man series, as well as Mega Man's archenemy and is also the creator of Bass and Zero. He appeared in the first Mega Man video game and later in promotions and other media related to the series. In Japanese, he is voiced by Takeshi Aono in all appearances except Mega Man: The Power Battle and its sequel, as well as Mega Man: Upon a Star, where he instead was voiced by Kenichi Ogata; in English, the character is voiced by Douglas Kendall, Dean Galloway, Keith Silverstein, Ian James Corlett, and Scott McNeil voicing the character in Mega Man 8, Mega Man Powered Up, Mega Man 11, Captain N: The Game Master, and the animated series, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Proto Man</span> Fictional character

Proto Man, known in Japan as Blues, is a fictional character from Capcom's Mega Man video game series. Proto Man first appeared in the 1990 video game Mega Man 3 as a mini-boss Mega Man had to face periodically, and was known as Break Man. At the end of Mega Man 3, it is revealed that Break Man's actual name is Proto Man, and that he is Mega Man's older brother. Proto Man made further appearances in many more Mega Man games, sometimes as a playable character, often receiving critical praise.

<i>Mega Man 8</i> 1996 video game

Mega Man 8 is a platform game developed and released by Capcom in 1996. It was directed by Hayato Kaji and produced by Keiji Inafune, both of whom had previously worked on the series as artists. It is the eighth installment in the original Mega Man series, and was initially released in Japan on the PlayStation in 1996. The following year, Mega Man 8 saw a release on the Sega Saturn and was localized for both consoles in North America and the PlayStation alone in PAL regions. Mega Man 8 is the first game in the series made available on 32-bit consoles. The plot follows series protagonist Mega Man as he is called to investigate an energy reading coming from a recent meteor crash on an island. Mega Man discovers that his nemesis Dr. Wily has run off with the energy source, and sets off to stop Wily's evil plans to use the energy, and to discover the purpose of a mysterious alien robot found at the crash site.

<i>Mega Man</i> (1987 video game) 1987 video game

Mega Man, known as Rockman in Japan, is a platform game developed and published by Capcom in 1987 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was directed by Akira Kitamura, with Nobuyuki Matsushima as lead programmer, and is the first game of the Mega Man franchise and the original video game series. Mega Man was produced by a small team specifically for the home console market, a first for Capcom, which previously focused on arcade video games.

<i>Super Adventure Rockman</i> 1998 interactive movie video game published by Capcom

Super Adventure Rockman is a 1998 interactive movie/rail shooter video game developed by Kouyousha and published by Capcom for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn; it is a spin-off of the Mega Man series and follows Mega Man as he attempts to stop an ancient alien supercomputer called "Ra Moon" from taking over the world; the game only saw a Japanese release, and has not been re-released since.

<i>Mega Man Powered Up</i> 2006 video game

Mega Man Powered Up is a side-scrolling platform video game developed and published by Capcom. It was released for the PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld game console in March 2006. It is a remake of the original Mega Man game released in 1987 for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Players control the eponymous star Mega Man who must stop Dr. Wily from conquering the world using eight robots called Robot Masters. Unlike the original game, players can control these eight Robot Masters under the right circumstances. Other new features include a level creator mode and a challenge mode.

<i>Mega Man 9</i> 2008 video game

Mega Man 9 is a 2008 action-platform video game developed by Capcom and Inti Creates. It is the ninth numbered game in the original Mega Man series, and the first home console game in the series since Mega Man & Bass (1998). Mega Man 9 was the first game in the series not to have a physical release, and was initially released only on the downloadable gaming services WiiWare, PlayStation Network (PSN), and Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA). In June 2017, it was announced that Mega Man 9 and 10 would have a physical and digital release with their inclusion in Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One, as well as the Nintendo Switch in May 2018.

<i>Mega Man</i> (1994 TV series) Superhero animated television series

Mega Man is a science fiction superhero animated television series co-produced by Ruby-Spears Productions and Ashi Productions, and based on the video game series of the same name by Capcom. It aired from September 11, 1994 to January 19, 1996, lasting two seasons. A spin-off based on Mega Man X was planned, but didn't go through.

The Protomen are an American rock band who started their career composing concept albums loosely based on the video game series Mega Man. Their stage names are largely references to pop culture films, song titles, and fictional characters. The group members refer to themselves as storytellers, creating a "rock and roll fable".

<i>Act II: The Father of Death</i> 2009 studio album by The Protomen

Act II: The Father of Death is the second album by indie rock band The Protomen, and the follow-up to the band's self-titled debut. The album also revisits the Mega Man-inspired rock opera concept from the band's first album, and functions as a prequel to the first release, focusing on the relationship between Thomas Light and Albert Wily before Wily's takeover of the city that functions as the story's primary setting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mega Man (character)</span> Video game character

Mega Man, known as Rockman in Japan, is the title character and the protagonist of the Mega Man series by Capcom. He was created by Akira Kitamura for the first Mega Man game released in 1987, with artist Keiji Inafune providing detailed character artwork based on Kitamura's pixel art design.

<i>Mega Man 10</i> 2010 video game

Mega Man 10 is an action-platform video game developed by Inti Creates and Capcom. It is the tenth main entry of the original Mega Man series. The game was released as a downloadable title for the console gaming services WiiWare, PlayStation Network (PSN), and Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) during March 2010. The game was also given a physical release along with four other Capcom titles from different franchises in the Capcom Essentials Pack for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was later released again for a physical and digital release as part of Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 alongside Mega Man 7, Mega Man 8 and Mega Man 9 for the PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One, as well as the Nintendo Switch in May 2018.

<i>Mega Man 7</i> 1995 video game

Mega Man 7 is an action platform video game developed and published by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the seventh game in the original Mega Man series. The game was released in Japan on March 24, 1995 and was localized later in the year in North America and Europe.

<i>Mega Man</i> (Archie Comics)

Mega Man is a comic series produced by Archie Comics based on the video game series of the same name by Capcom. It was announced at New York Comic Con 2010, and the series began publication in April 2011 with Ian Flynn, who has written many stories for Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog series, as its lead writer. The series proved highly successful, and in 2013 a crossover took place between the Mega Man and Sonic series, under the title "Worlds Collide". The series does not follow the events of the games in exact order, including an adaptation of the Japanese exclusive game Super Adventure Rockman between those of Mega Man 2 and Mega Man 3. The series later included a few stories set in the time of the Mega Man X series. The popularity of Worlds Collide subsequently led to a second crossover with the Sonic series, Worlds Unite. The series was put into an "indefinite hiatus" after issue 55, concluding with setup for an adaptation of Mega Man 4.

References

  1. ↑ "Stereogum". www.stereogum.com. Retrieved 2015-12-25.
  2. ↑ "Nashville Skyline". Mixonline.com. 2006-04-01. Archived from the original on 2012-03-28. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
  3. ↑ The Protomen (2005).The Protomen. Information not explicitly stated by the album's lyrics can be found in the album insert, which provides non-lyrical narrative context for the songs.
  4. ↑ 1UP (2006). "Playing It Loud: Six bands inspired by video games"
  5. ↑ The Escapist (2007). "Hope Rides Alone: The Protomen"
  6. ↑ The Protomen CD MyShopify (2014).
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.