Protomen - the Comm ~ View topic

Joined: 28 Jun 2009 Posts: 16

The album is now available. You have a variety of ways to obtain it:

Click here to order a physical CD
Click here to buy the album on iTunes
Click here to buy the album on Amazon MP3

If you're interested, my review follows. Feel free to contribute your own thoughts in this thread.

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One would naturally expect praise of this album from the folks on The Protomen's official forum, so I apologize in advance for not posting something more interesting. I do have a few minor complaints, but the amount of improvement this album shows over Act I is fucking staggering.

Folks will describe Act II as "retro", and I agree. They'll say it's retro because it draws upon musical ideas not regularly used since the '80s, and that's part of it. But more than that, Act II is retro because it's an album. That's a concept that hasn't meant a damned thing for years.

Bear with me here: Consumers don't want albums anymore; they want singles. Traditionally, albums have been the way to go because you make more money when you can charge more money. But in the age of iTunes, albums actually cost less in most cases. More importantly, how many albums have you heard that were anything more than a seemingly random collection of songs? When was the last time you heard anything that actually worked better as an album than as kindling for a playlist?

My answer is Peter Gabriel's Up. That was seven years ago. I was ready to dismiss the concept of the album entirely, but Act II has shown me that there are still artists out there that can make it work. Throughout Act II, there are references to other parts of the album, not just in terms of the storyline and characters but also the instruments used, the chord progressions used, with new melodies building on previous songs and becoming more evocative as a result. The story being told here is clear enough on first listen, but within the lyrics are subtleties that will make your second and third experience with Act II better than your first. (The exception to this is the "letter" portion of "Here Comes the Arm", one of the few low points in Act II.)

I enjoyed The Protomen's debut album and still play it whenever I need my rock fix. But Act II is a different animal, and is the first album in years that I will treat as such, listening from beginning to end rather than a track at a time. Make no mistake, most of the songs on Act II are good enough that you'll get more enjoyment from some of them than from the entirety of the original Protomen CD. But listen to this first as an album, and it will make an impression. I suppose I should be surprised that a group of young independent musicians from Tennessee have captured that which the major music acts of the world seem to have forgotten-- but it only makes sense that in order for something to sound like a labor of love, that's exactly what it needs to be.

Joined: 06 Sep 2009 Posts: 31 Location: Acowrth, GA

I'll just re-post what I've typed before plus some new.

The Protomen have really outdone themselves with this second outing. In terms of musicality, this blows Act I out of the water. There is no comparison how much The Protomen have grown in the last four years. Lyrically, I will not judge until I get the physical copy with the official booklet.

The Hounds is definitely one of the best tracks on the album. Love the psychobilly/rockabilly groove. Keep Quiet is also a top contender for best song. I loved the switch in genre after How The World Fell Into Darkness. Western-flair to 80's rock. Not really two things I think of together.

As much as I didn't like the Emily vocal in the demo on Father of Death, she is much stronger on this version(and to an extent on the other song she is in isn't bad at all), still no Light or Wily though. Definite plus that there was improvement.

I've gotta give it to them. The production on this album far exceeds the production on the first one, much cleaner. Still a couple of problems here and there(the choirs tend to be a little muddled), but that's bound to happen now and again.

I must agree with you, Nijhazer. This is definitely an album. Each song somehow connected to the whole. There are certain songs that have that "single" quality, but everything flows perfectly together. This is where I think it excels from Act I. As amazing as Act I was, it was more connected by story then music. Here everything is connected: music and lyrics. As you said, it grows off itself.

Act II was definitely worth the four year wait. Can't wait to listen to it some more. And hopefully have a lyric book soon.

Joined: 17 Aug 2009 Posts: 10

I'll keep this short. Because, oh god, I just got to the end, and I am left without words. @_@

EDIT: oh god listening to the last part again and get the chill down my back all over again hearing it.

Joined: 01 Apr 2007 Posts: 235

Amazing.

How amazing?

Imagine taking a walk on the surface of mars, and Ray Charles, Pink Floyed, and the Electric Light Orchestra are standing before you. You watch in amazement as they play music like you have never heard. And then, Ray Charles pulls out a paper and pen. He then successfully divides by zero.

Also, am i the only one who imagines Commander as Light?

Joined: 09 Apr 2007 Posts: 208

After a second listen, I can actually sum up my thoughts.

The album is diverse.

There are instrumentals. There are tracks with enough story to fill two or more songs. There is heart-breaking country with a dark edge that's afraid of technology. Then it changes. It becomes more synthetic, and mean. The plot, as far as I can tell without having read through the booklet, becomes more focused. Something's gotta change, and while for a brief moment, there is hope, mankind once again turns their back.

I'm not comfortable saying which album I prefer because they are different. If Act I is the crunchy cookie part of an Oreo, the part that involves robots punching each other, then Act II is the creme filling. The reason the robots are punching each other, even though they've long since forgotten.

Seeing this performed live cannot happen soon enough.

Joined: 29 Apr 2009 Posts: 95

Joined: 03 Apr 2007 Posts: 179 Location: SoIL

My feelings, in short, are that the lyrical depths this album reaches are staggering. Were we not prefaced, this would be unrecognizable as a work about Megaman, and still an amazing album! It is no longer fair to describe the Protomen as "video game themed" music in any way. Comparisons to other bands who are doing similar things are completely laughable.

Joined: 17 Aug 2009 Posts: 10

alright since im in a calm period again listening to it over from the beginning (AKA im not anywhere with the key musical cues) I can say some more.

The fusion of the two styles is brilliant, and paints such a detailed picture. Introducing us to The Good Doctor with undertones we came to know for Light from Act 1, then moving straight into Father of Death (which I didnt expect to be so early in the album). the atmospheric sounds to accentuate it the album add to it even more, from The State vs. Thomas Light/Give Us The Rope, both the first and second times listening through I thought the murmuring crowd was noise in the building I'm in right now and had the urge to go check to see what the commotion was. the transition to the second style is brilliantly set, and the restarting of the pace with the fully infused Breaking Out, building increasing pace and energy through the next two tracks, then The Fall bringing it back down to the level we all know the story to be in. And finishing with Here Comes The Arm, concluding with music cues that, as I mentioned, sent chills down my spine.

EDIT: and as a side note, I just have to say as a trumpet player that, while trumpet itself in rock is great and not used enough, the way they use it here is just plain boss

Joined: 24 Jul 2006 Posts: 112

Quick! The album's been out for less than 6 hours! Everyone jump to conclusions! Make sure you get to post your opinion first! Don't give the music time to sink in! Just start typing!

Mm. I have said it before, and I will say it again: Dr. Light is the reincarnation of the Man in Black.

More thoughts to come tonight, after listening to it for the thirtieth time.

Joined: 19 Dec 2008 Posts: 9

i might be wrong here, but i think he meant Johnny Cash.

From the way he sings.

Just a guess.

Joined: 09 Apr 2007 Posts: 208

Joined: 17 Nov 2007 Posts: 1290

Oh, ignore him. Don't feed the trolls, kids

Joined: 02 Sep 2009 Posts: 19 Location: Arizona

I don't really think he was being rude about it. Just pointing out that it was very soon after and a lot of people were writing their dissertations about the album when they didn't have the actual lyrics or cd inserts with action notes added. Give it some time to breathe, let people form some opinions of their own about these things. Discussion is fine, but you can't effectively review the content if you don't have it all. It's like a movie review from a deaf reviewer who walked out halfway through.