Lost in the Music: Get Equipped by The Megas

     For those of you who know me, this should come as no surprise to you but to those who are new to the site, let me start off by saying that I have not been a fan of Capcom for the last few years. I actively avoid buying their games and when the siren song becomes too unbearable, I will purchase them used. Yes it is a dirty trick, but I see no reason to give Capcom my money.

     However I do appreciate that the suits at Capcom have not cracked down on those who make music based off their old works and actively embrace the remix culture. From hiring OCRemiX to do their Street Fighter II HD soundtrack to endorsing Megaran, when it comes to the music side of things, Capcom is pretty hands off, and for that I appreciate.

     Megaran and OCRemiX are not the only ones who have made a name for themselves by remixing and making old Megaman tracks their own. The Megas have also remixed the classic Nintendo tunes their own and today on Lost in the Music, I am taking a listen to their first studio release, Get Equipped.

     Starting off, Get Equipped is a great album for the bands first studio release. Instead of making an Rock Opera, the group decided to do a concept album. Each of the stage/Robot Master track would be dedicated to that one Robot Master, exposing the listener to the Robot Master's thoughts. I like it as it gives a fresh perspective on who these Robots are and why they are doing what they are doing. It's a fantastic concept.

     After listening through this album a few times, I have decided that my favourite song off this album has to be The Message From Doctor Light. While it's not uncommon to hear song's from the perspective of the gentle roboticist, it is quite touching to hear how he fears losing his son in battle. Despite it being a rock ballad, it is very heartwarming that the love that Light has for Rock which I feel can be summed up in this line:

“The world gave me/ No child so I built one/Now I will cry/ For fear that he may lose this fight”

     While the song does start off as Rock being designed to help put an end to the mistakes that Light had made, the confession that Rock (and obviously Roll) was also built to fill that hole in his heart makes it incredibly touching.

     The Megas have also transcended the musical medium and into comicdom as part of it's lyrics from The Message From Doctor Light make a minor appearance in the Archie Megaman Comic series, a series I quite enjoy. In issue 3, while Dr Light is comforting Rock after a emotional outburst, he quotes a small part of the song. By itself it can be seen as a father comforting his son, but after listening to the album, it does add a layer of acknowledgement between the two mediums.

     While The Megas don't perform a rock opera like their contemporaries, their Get Equipped concept album is a great listen to. It satisfies that craving one has for some Megaman based nerd-rock (pun not intended) without feeling blue afterwards (again, no pun intended) which brings up an interesting dichotomy between the two bands.

     With the Protomen, the world is in tatters and the villain has won and the hero is lost. You wind up feeling depressed and somewhat anxious or in a word, you are feeling Blue, while with the Megas, you feel as if you can take on the the robot masters and the nefarious Doctor Wily. By the end, the villain is in custody and you are the victor. It's an anthem and those are usually a Rock song.

     The Megas and The Protomen, brothers in music.

     Tomorrow on 5 Bucks to Burn, we stick with the Megas and discover what happens when you Sparked the War. This is Daimo Mac and I am lost in the music.