The Megas (band)

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The Megas is a Los Angeles based independent video game cover band based on the Capcom game, Mega Man 2. They differentiate themselves from artists who have played Mega Man 2's music in the past by adding original lyrics and composing new sections which blend seamlessly with the original compositions. Their lyrics expand on the simple story laid out in the NES game, giving each of the 8 robot masters a unique personality. Their debut album, Get Equipped, was released in January 2008.

The band has gained notoriety in the video game music scene due to their popularity on sites like Newgrounds and Myspace, as well as numerous live performances all over the United States, primarily at video game conventions and festivals such as MAGfest, Nerdapalooza, and various dates of the Video Games Live tour. Their song "The Annihilation of Monsteropolis/Airman" was featured on the front page of the popular video game music remixing site OverClocked ReMix, and most recently the band was mentioned on Wired magazine's blog^[1] as well as the official Capcom blog^[2] and an article^[3] on Gibson Guitars' website.

Mission statement

"Since the year 200X (4), The Megas have strived to bring a message from Dr. Light to the people. They have chosen to transmit that message, the tale of a small blue robot named Mega Man, directly into the eardrums of the general populace through the power of rock."

^[4]

History

Formation and early days

Josh Breeding arranges and performs a version of the song "I Want to be The One" (based on the Dr. Wily 1-2 theme) for a school talent show. Later, plays the song for Eric von Doymi, a friend that he met at Cal State Long Beach. The two of them re-record the track. The band is formed shortly after, picking up bassist Greg Schneider (previously of the band Agent 51) and drummer Dave Jensen. The first songs are laid out and performed live at video game themed shows and local venues. The band continues as a side project for a couple of years up until the recording of their first official album, Get Equipped.

Release of first album

Drummer Mike Levinson, who previously played in Agent 51 with Greg, joins the band. He takes the place of second drummer Brent Firestone. The band constructs a studio dubbed "Dr. Light Studios" and focuses on recording and releasing their first album. Get Equipped was released in January, 2008.

New albums

On the band's official Facebook page, it is stated that there is a "Mega Man 3 album coming soon." It was stated on Breeding's Facebook page in June of 2009 that the band is now recording.

In a bulletin on the band's official MySpace page in July 2009, the band stated that they would be handing out free download cards at Comic-Con for two songs off Get Equipped and two songs from the upcoming Get Acoustic acoustic remix of Get Equipped. August 24, 2009, The Megas released the Megatainment EP, a Mega Man 1 based collaborative EP with the band Entertainment System.

In an interview in October 2009, the band said their next projects include Mega Man 3, Mega Man X, and Mega Man 9 albums.^[5] February 4, 2010, The Megas released Get Acoustic digitally and stated they will head back to the studio to work on their Mega Man 3 follow-up to Get Equipped.

Style

The original music from Mega Man 2 is an 8-bit format from the NES. The Megas use guitar, bass guitar, and drums to create songs inspired by the original themes of each boss stage, as well as other soundtrack selections such as the enemy selected music and the ending song music. Original lyrics are created for the songs, typically centered around each of the Robot Masters' personalities, made up based on their level design and their appearance ^[6].

Band members

Current members

• Josh "Rev. Breeding" Breeding — vocals, guitar
• Eric "E" von Doymi — vocals, guitar
• Greg "Gregatron" Schneider — bass, backing vocals
• Mike "Mikey Hell" Levinson — drums (2006–present)

Former members

• Bren Firestone — drums (2005–2006)
• Dave Jensen — drums (2004–2005)

Discography

Studio albums

• Get Equipped (2008)
• Mega Man 3 album^[5] (TBA)
• Mega Man X album^[5] (TBA)
• Mega Man 9 album^[5] (TBA)

EPs

• Megatainment (2009) with Entertainment System

Remix albums

• Get Acoustic (2010)

Other appearances

• "The Message From Dr. Light" - released on a video game band compilation.

Official websites

• http://www.themegas.com
• http://www.myspace.com/themegas

See also

• The Protomen, a rock band that plays original compositions based on the Mega Man series.
• The Minibosses, one of the very first game-music cover bands, focusing mainly on NES tunes.
• The Black Mages, a metal band founded by Nobuo Uematsu to play Final Fantasy arrangements.
• The Advantage, another band which plays covers of Nintendo theme music.
• The OneUps, another band which plays covers of video game music (although with a more jazz-inspired sound).
• The NESkimos, another band which plays covers of Nintendo music, but adds a very heavy style to it.
• MegaDriver, another band which plays covers of video game music, mostly of the Sega Genesis (or "Mega Drive" outside North America) but also plays Nintendo covers, with a heavy metal style.
• Powerglove, a video game cover band that uses game tunes to inspire original heavy metal pieces they compose themselves.

References

External links

• http://www.destructoid.com/the-megas-announce-megatainment-a-mega-man-1-tribute-145937.phtml
• http://www.capcom-unity.com/jgonzo/blog/2009/08/25/the_megas__entertainment_system__megatainment
• http://kotaku.com/gaming/colette-bennett/feature-video-armageddon-222580.php
• http://www.intellivisionlives.com/media/newsletters/news060921.html
• http://www.vgfrequency.com/the-megas-release-debut-arrangement-album-get-equipped
• http://www.examiner.com/x-1039-LA-Game-Culture-Examiner~y2008m9d26-The-Megasstorm-through-Los-Angeles--many-are-wowed-none-harmed