Tag Archives: mega man

Tunesday: History Repeating: Red

The most highly anticipated Mega Man 3 inspired concept album of the year has arrived and it is impressive.

History Repeating: Red is the second of a two part album adapting the story and music of Mega Man 3 into a collection of rock anthems. Continuing where History Repeating: Blue left off, this installment explores the brand new perspectives of four more Robot Masters, Gamma, and Break Man, as well as continuing explore the Blue Bomber’s story arc.

More than being excellent musicians, The Megas are also great storytellers. I haven’t cared this much about soulless machines since I watched Wall-E, Iron Giant, and Short Circuit 2 back to back to back. Each bot has such strong emotions driving their actions.

Gemini Man is so paranoid that someone is out to kill him that he hires his double as a private investigator to watch his back. Needle Man hates himself because his design won’t allow him to get close to anyone without hurting them, to the point where is may do something rash. Shadow Man is terrified and helpless as he loses his original personality and all he once was to Dr. Wily’s reprogramming. And Break Proto Man’s songs are heartbreaking. Envy. Rage. Relief. Peace. So many feels!

History Repeating: Red is a thoroughly satisfying conclusion to the journey we began with History Repeating: Blue. At only $10, this album is well worth every zenny. It’s available on Bandcamp and on The Megas official site.

Tunesday: The Megas

In the year 200X, a robot named The Megas was created by Dr. Light to stop the mysterious evil genius Dr. Wily’s ambition to conquer the world. In the year 2008, a video game cover band named The Megas was created by Rev. Breeding and E to rearrange the music from the Mega Man game series, adding lyrics that would breathe new depth into the Blue Bomber, the 8 Robot Masters, and even their creators.

The Megas’s first album, Get Equipped, is a collection of ballads based on the songs from Mega Man 2. Each song endows one of the 8-bit sprites with very human characteristics and explores them. Bubble Man’s insecurity. Metal Man’s arrogance. Air Man’s isolation-fueled rage. In “Lamentations of a War Machine” Mega Man is conflicted after his victory, wrestling with the concept of destroying his fellow robots in the name of “everlasting peace.”

History Repeating is a larger, more ambitious project than Get Equipped. So large that it had to be split into two parts. In the first installment, History Repeating: Blue, The Megas continue to narrate the very human aspirations and motivations of the next generation of robotic bosses and even their human creators. Magnet Man has a forbidden attraction to Roll, Snake Man urges Mega Man to turn on Dr. Light and join the other side of the human/robot war, and Dr. Wily’s jealousy of Dr. Light drives him insane. Again. And in “(I Want to be The One) To Watch You Die,” the unofficial sequel to the band’s very first song “I Want to be the One”, Dr. Light has had enough of Wily’s betrayal and urges Mega Man to put a permanent end to his machinations.

I’m eagerly awaiting the second part of this project, History Repeating: Red. The Megas has released a small previous of their work in the form of Fly on a Dog. Again, Mega Man questions his place, but this time in the eyes of his “father” Dr. Light. Is he the scientist’s beloved son or just his favorite weapon?

Normally I prefer music that is available for free, but so far I’ve purchased all of The Megas albums. It’s worth it. But if you prefer, the band has all of the tracks from History Repeating: Blue and Fly on a Dog available on their YouTube page.

Once you start to feel the same urge to own it that I felt after listening to the freebies for a week, you can purchase it at their Band Camp page here.

Random (aka Mega Ran) – Splash Woman

Happy Valentine’s Day, Knurds.

My gift to you is a love song about the classic story of robotic boy meets mechanical mermaid. And then they fight to the death. It’s a tale as old as time.

Random, a.k.a. Mega Ran, is a Philly born and Phoenix based rapper known for his combination of video game influenced beats and creative rhymes. In a world filled with hip-hop stereotypes and gimmicks, Random’s style is a refreshing breath of realism. Despite rapping about fighting robots.

Another of his songs, the Jeremy Lin rap, has been receiving a lot of attention in the last few weeks and has been featured on ESPN, NBC Sports, The Harvard Crimson, and a ton of other places. Listen to that here.

And don’t forget to get to order your tickets for his upcoming tour here.

Cheers,
JD