Finally getting back into the swing of things! It has been a long time since I have written anything here. I have been extremely busy lately. But I have a nine-hour flight to listen to a ton of music and write a ton of words!

I am back to work through the discography of a band I completely missed. Basically anything from the 2000s until 2012, I completely missed. So, in an effort to catch up, I listened to every studio album released by My Chemical Romance. And I will make my judgements based on the music alone.

I recently wrote about Gerard Way’s “Hesitant Alien,” and in that I promised I would go back and examine all of My Chemical Romance’s discography. Now I have listened to every studio album they released, intently focusing on each and every song. I discovered a lot about the history of Gerard Way and the music he has worked on. So, let’s get right into it.

“I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love” (2002)

From humble beginnings comes even harder rock. MCR opens up with a Mexican sounding instrumental. “Romance” is quiet and unassuming. Then the rest of the album effectively kicks down the proverbial door. The album definitely follows that older punk style. There is a lot of screaming and harsh vocals. The instruments overpower the lyrics on most of the songs. Rarely is Gerard’s voice allowed to take over the space. For a debut, the level of thought is good. The lyrics are well constructed, but the overall sound is lacking. If someone was not paying attention, they may miss the change between songs. There is not a lot of variation. Overall, it is cohesive. The sound is consistent and the lyrics seem to follow a theme. Those consist of love, loss, doom, and growing up. Themes that will not disappear in MCR’s work anytime soon.

Songs I Enjoyed:

“Vampires Will Never Hurt You”

“Skylines and Turnstiles”

“Early Sunsets Over Monroeville”

“Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge” (2004)

The sophomore release begins the shift in style that is common between MCR albums. This time, the sound is less metal, more heavy rock. What I mean is that the vocals are more isolated, there is less screaming and harsh vocals. Gerard feels more confident in his vocal range and allows his voice to really speak. Gerard Way is such an incredible writer, which I could see in the first album. But here, the lyrics are given more space. Now I can understand everything he is saying. The album is more polished and does not feel rushed at all. I do not know how the recording process went, but it seems like they spent a lot more time in the studio. The rest of the band is more confident too, there is more unique sounds. They are coming into their own, never abandoning who they are. Plus, this album has freaking sweet song names.

Songs I Enjoyed:

“Helen (So Long and Goodnight)”

“You Know What They Do To Guys Like Us In Prison”

“Thank You For The Venom”

“It’s Not A Fashion Statement, It’s A Deathwish”

“The Black Parade” (2006)

This album is straight up punk. Extremely polished and extremely angry. The sound shifts again, but it all follows a natural progression. MCR will never be known as a stagnant band. They worked so hard to make a well-done concept album. Centered around the fictional Black Parade, it is a protest album through its core. Full of righteous punk anger. Gerard finally lets his voice go, he lets it become different. He can whisper, he can scream, and he can belt out a ballad. The album itself has a wide range of sounds. There is traditional guitar and drum driven, there is a march. In “Cancer,” there is even a piano based song. Not only is it the first one to be based around the piano, I think it is the first overtly emotional song. It is heart-wrenching, I get choked up every time I hear it. There is a good reason this is the album people know them for. It is amazing.

P.S. any album with a hidden track is awesome in my book

Songs I Enjoyed:

“Dead!”

“Welcome to the Black Parade” (but really, who doesn’t like this song)

“The Sharpest Lives”

“Teenagers”

“Sleep”

“Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys” (2011)

Another freaking awesome concept album from MCR. The album is supposed to be songs from the apocalypse, one where people primarily live in the desert. It truly feels like music you’d listen to in the apocalypse. The world is gone, and there is only Dr. Death and the Killjoys to guide you through it. Some may be annoyed by the interruptions from Dr. Death, but I think it works well. He adds to the atmosphere. And that part where the National Anthem comes in is fantastic. Yet again, the sound shifts between the last album and this one. It is the biggest shift, to be fair. But I think it works. They want to keep innovating, not making the same album again and again. It’s a good album that does not stray too far from what MCR is, at the heart.

Songs I Enjoyed:

“Na Na Na [Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na]”

“Bulletproof Heart”

“Planetary [GO!]”

“S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W”

“The Kids From Yesterday”

“Vampire Money”

I sincerely enjoyed every album from start to finish. My Chemical Romance has succeeded in innovating throughout their lifespan. My favorite album has to be “Danger Days,” mainly because I dig the concept and it is the album that best fits my taste in music. I realize that may be met with some disagreement, but I do have something to say about “Danger Days.” I think that it was the perfect album for MCR to end it all with. The change in sound was finally starting to be met with hostility by fans. Everyone should realize that the next album was just going to keep being different from the one before it. Obviously I cannot say this for sure, but I really think the next album would have been “Hesitant Alien.” If they had released that under MCR’s name, people would riot. I think it was better to leave on a high note, rather than disappoint.

Another successful experiment! I cannot wait to keep getting out from under this musical rock!

Featured image from: http://cdn.playbuzz.com/cdn/9f517af7-1a36-4ba0-85b7-96ff56facba7/4cf7be8b-25ce-4e2a-8469-0a4f98826661.jpg