• You Must Rock 'N' Roll On

        Honor your fallen, and fight for the future!
        By Valerie Hilgenfeldt

        Logo of The Protomen.


        Depending upon whose view you adopt, getting noticed in our increasingly wired world is either simpler than before or tougher than it has ever been. Think about it: with a web presence, you're destined to reach at least one person – that, or doomed to be drowned out by the masses. Do you adopt the negative, assuming you'll fail before you've begun to fight, and settle for doing a whole lot of nothing? Or are you enraged by the concept of obscurity, determined to fend off oblivion and ensure you'll leave a legacy behind?

        The ferocity of the latter concept can be wholeheartedly applied to the Protomen, a relentless rock 'n' roll group whose mastery lifts them above their game-inspired brethren.




        In the past, their loyal followers aspired to separate them from what was then an obscure genre – to be precise, “nerdcore” – and here we'll do more than strictly underline that distinction, appealing to those who have recognized what brilliance can come of artists cut from similar cloths. We have watched Jonathan Coulton and his comical lyrics rise to fame; we have observed MC Frontalot performing at the veritable utopia of nerdliness, Penny Arcade Expo; and yet, before such acts were in vogue, the Protomen rocked and they rocked hard. With great drive, they blew away their audiences with spectacular performances, ear-shattering guitar riffs, and throat-searing cries – and, when the dust began settling, they followed with melancholy tales of a careless humanity's ruined world, delivered by a voice as rich as folk singers of old.

        A storied path so embattled is not without tragedy, however; recently, such forced the Protomen to miss one of their shows. While the loss of a member was staged in the past, this was no tale of fiction: one of their loved ones was lost, forcing them to cancel a much-hyped show. Nevertheless, the Protomen cannot be stopped. They have paid their respects, and their tour continues, taking them in the very near future to locales such as: Nashville, Tenn., Orlando, Fla., Savannah, Ga., Wilmington, Del., and far more.

        If you're hot-blooded enough to show your support, or simply want a damn good reason to rock out, keep an eye on their oft-updated tour page and save your bills for a ticket. There's few acts out their more worth your blood, sweat and tears than the Protomen, so go with them – rise with them, kick ass with them – and forget that they're a “video game band” for a little while, realizing their universal appeal as rock artists instead.

        Unless you're into that whole “nerdiness” thing – in which case, get ready; you're going to love them even more.


        Comments 13 Comments
        1. Josh's Avatar
          Josh -
          What does this have to do with anything, and who are you?
        1. Frogacuda's Avatar
          Frogacuda -
          Remember how this site is also supposed to have content, Josh?

          I know you don't, blah blah blah

          Anyway, she's been writing for us for like 4 years.
        1. Josh's Avatar
          Josh -
          Since when is an advertisement considered content?
        1. Frogacuda's Avatar
          Frogacuda -
          Would you say that if it was your band getting a positive write-up?
        1. YellerDog's Avatar
          YellerDog -
          Minibosses > Protomen
        1. Josh's Avatar
          Josh -
          Quote Originally Posted by Frogacuda View Post
          Would you say that if it was your band getting a positive write-up?
          On the front page of a video game site? Yes. Especially if it read like ad copy.
        1. Josh's Avatar
          Josh -
          This should be in music discussion. Like the writeup I did on the Protomen in 2005, or whenever it was.
        1. Finch's Avatar
          Finch -
          Cool write-up, Raz! I like this tangentally-related stuff.
        1. Chux's Avatar
          Chux -
          Quote Originally Posted by Josh View Post
          This should be in music discussion. Like the writeup I did on the Protomen in 2005, or whenever it was.
          There were a few things in 06, but that's it.

          Maybe also if like Josh said it didn't read like ad copy, and this wasn't the first time we'd seen this Raz character.
        1. Finch's Avatar
          Finch -
          Maybe if dumbasses like Josh didn't try to ruin everything that's not about him.
        1. Chux's Avatar
          Chux -
          Quote Originally Posted by Finch View Post
          Maybe if dumbasses like Josh didn't try to ruin everything that's not about him.
          I don't see it like that. I just see a snippet of ad talk from a website posted by somebody who doesn't exactly post much.

          It's fine, I don't have a problem with it, but I could see how somebody would. It just happened to be Josh.
        1. Raz's Avatar
          Raz -
          I can understand why someone would take issue with it, given that my forum name is unknown. Prior to the new blogging system's implementation, my WordPress account used my real name, Valerie Hilgenfeldt, and that is how all of my previews, reviews, and editorials were signed as well. In fact, that's how all of my articles were credited on TNL, GotNext, and CloudChaser alike -- I've never used the Raz moniker outside of forums, and never posted on any part of the TNL forums besides the editors' section.

          So, as Travis noted, I've been writing for TNL for some time -- just not for its forums. Beyond that, we discussed some time ago the viability of writing music and movie related articles for the front page, and the consensus was that anything tangentially related would be absolutely welcomed. That's why this is here, and not elsewhere, as the front end is what I've always written for.

          Additionally, a blog entry needn't be as professionally subjective as, say, an editorial. They're meant to be more casual, hence my laying the enthusiasm on thick in this case. Your opinions are noted, and I don't mean that dismissively, as coincidentally, I championed how important it was to have community involvement on the front end behind the scenes for quite a while.

          None of you knew, however, because that was on the editors' forums. You'll certainly see more of my posts, and they'll be more visible now that the blog is integrated with the forums -- and to be completely honest, I couldn't be happier.
        1. Chux's Avatar
          Chux -


          I can get behind this.
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