NerdLust.net

In hindsight, I’m still not sure how it happened.  Sure, I loved the original, self-titled Protomen album.  But it was a frenetic, metal-laced cannon shot of an album with only occasional moments of contrasting lo-fi, acoustic notes.  Act II is another matter entirely.  It retains some of the first album’s organic components, and rather than metal it features a fearlessly executed retro ’80s pop-rock style.

I have to admit, my age probably has a lot to do with my initial bias against that element of their composition, where younger listeners probably find it as endearing as I found ’70s rock when I was growing up.  Nonetheless, my initial reluctance to embrace Act II has been fully reversed.  I now find myself listening to the new Protomen album more than anything else in my collection, combined.

Yup.  It has me in a grip, no doubt.  I find myself wondering how many times I can talk about the Protomen before I annoy my wife enough for her to say something about it.  And my followers on Twitter.  And Facebook.  And IRC.  You get the idea.

It’s hard to say where the turning point was.  Certainly, I became more and more engaged as I worked out the lyrics and the story they tell.  And I suppose I’ve built up some immunity to the cheese factor through repeated exposure.  Regardless of the causes, I’m now free enjoy Act II for what it is: a thoroughly awesome concept album that tells an overdriven drama of heroes, villains, and the robots they create.

I am so sold on the new album at this point that I want everyone to hear it.  If you like robots.  If you like the hero’s journey.  If you like music.  If you have hearing.  If you have partial hearing.  Or even just a pulse.  You get the point; Act II – The Father Of Death is Essential Listening.

Official Protomen Site | Random Protomen Stuff on YouTube