There has recently been a growing musical subculture that is being dubbed “nintendocore” wherein artists are performing songs either based on or using songs from video games of the NES era. While still largely in unknown to the masses, this musical style has promise and is a breeding ground for creativity all while paying homage to our youth, remembering a time when games had two buttons and a d-pad. Our artist this week do this while rocking your face off and turning a childhood favorite into a dark tale of good, evil, internal conflict, western gunslinging, and robots. This week, get your weapons ready with the Protomen.
Inspired by the classic series of Mega Man games, the Protomen take the basic story and turn it into an Orwellian dystopia mixed with a Spaghetti Western and filled with hard rock, horns, and a good taste of theater.  The band are devoted to writing a three-act rock opera telling their own story of what happened to the characters we know and love.  Thus far, the first two acts have been released. Act one (the album is self-titled, but has been labeled by fans, “the sons of fate”) was released in 2005 and was just this week re-released as a limited edition vinyl copy.  Act two, entitled “the Father of Death” saw its debut in 2009. The second act, while a prequel to the events of the first album, shows the maturity of the band, cleaning up the sound and diversifying their styles of music and have explained it as reflecting the time before (as the track title denotes) the world fell into darkness.
For those who never had the chance or were too cool to get down with the Blue Bomber and his pals when they were kids, here’s a brief rundown of the story that the Protomen have chosen to take on. Dr. Thomas Light and Dr. Albert Wily, friends and co-workers, create six robot masters. Tom creates them for the benefit of mankind to help with dangerous jobs like mining and logging.  Wily, as his name implies, has more dastardly plans. He uses the robots for his own bidding, corrupting them so that he can take over the world.  Light builds first Proto Man (prototype, get it?) to stop Wily, and later Mega Man (not originally designed to fight). Both are advanced robots with free will and the like. These are the basics that the Protomen use to amp up their own story.
The first album shows us the story of Proto Man’s creation and death and Mega Man’s struggle to fight for an identity and the loss of a brother he never knew.  The second focuses on the relationship of Light and Wily.  It shows the depth of the characters in the story, demonstrating Light’s guilt over his creations taking away the liveliness of the city as well as the loss of his love. The album also highlights Wily’s betrayal of his friend and his rise to power. While this all may seem childish and silly to some, the songs make you feel for the characters and gives you the vision of a genuine play and the Protomen do it with style and passion. That being said, while in concert the Protomen stay true to form and dress as their appropriate characters, helmets, ponchos and all.  In between songs they act out what isn’t written in the lyrics, be they fight scenes or pensive moments, they’ve got their stuff down, making it a sight to be seen.  The fans cheer and sing their parts, adding to the events.
Though little is known about the band itself, it seems they were a group of recording students at Middle Tennessee State University who were trying to pass a class until it spread to something larger where it incorporated artists from all over the state.  They take on fictitious names that are based on pop-culture (like Raul Panther, Turbo Lover, or K.I.L.R.O.Y.) and dress up in costumes and face paint for their live shows.  What is known is that they are dedicated to their music and have turned a classic (and personal favorite) game into something spectacular and addicting.  While there are a few songs that stand out as singles, the real treat is listening to an album all the way through.  It’s like being read a bedtime story by a bunch of hard-rocking bad-asses.  If all this writing of mine hasn’t convinced you, maybe you’ll have better luck lighting up the night with the links below.
Useful Links
Songs To Give You A Taste
The Stand (Man or Machine)(Act I)
Give us the Rope (Act II)
(Act II)