My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade
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Free Music Notes for The Black Parade
Free Music Review: The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance
Hit: 5 Stars
As a follow-up to their critical sophomore effort, Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge, My Chemical Romance decided to release something of a concept album, or rather something resembling a `story' album. Like Metallica's Master of Puppets, The Black Parade has a prevailing theme, one of death, insanity and coming from beyond the deathbed, all revolving around a conceptual character, who looks suspiciously like it was created by comic book writer Gerard Way, the character most aptly named as The Patient. A prominent character in the album, appearing in the music video for Welcome To The Black Parade and referenced in many other tracks, he represents a satirical version of the everyman, not beyond a hair's distance from the afterlife itself. But it seems it is the closest to death that one feels life in the most tangible ways and My Chemical Romance brings across that singular message with the same raw grit that paid off dividends in the first two albums.
Way's vocals were very much the same screams, the same wild cannon of lyrics we have come to expect from My Chemical Romance's front man, brief shades of Helena is back in tracks like House Of Wolves. The visceral energy of ever-present danger could be felt in that song, within every lyric sung by Way, every rift and sound behind, right down to the drums, as it is on Mama. But this doesn't come before the concept of Death was properly introduced in the first few songs, where poetic lines like "Throw on the black dress" in The End. and "And if your heart stops beating" in Dead! ushers in The Patient on his surgery table, telling us essentially about how life has only begun, even after all is said and done.
Tracks like Famous Last Words and Cancer pushes the ball forward even further. But it is in The Sharpest Lives that My Chemical Romance shows off the band's uncanny ability to pull along an exciting and action-filled tune. To include such a song on an already tasteful and well-written (just try to find another song as funnily written as Mama) album tells so much about the maturity of the band, which boasts some of the best guitar, soloing and otherwise, and bass play they have come up with. To understate that fact would be easy.
Emotionally charged songs like Teenagers and I don't love you sound like obvious Gerard Way messages, where the campiness and poignancy of teenage love and rebellion run through the earpieces like they were put through emotional transistors. Every listen-through of both would just solidify the belief that this album is the real deal, a solidly engineered, well-developed bundle of power and gutsiness and storytelling.
Hardcore rock enthusiasts aren't likely to keep this album on their play lists for long. But that can only be attributed to the strangely untold belief that mainstream music sucks. Ignore that and allow the realization that My Chemical Romance has finally hit the proverbial musical stride and made the masterpiece everyone has been waiting to sink into. Not every band that hits the big-time loses its luster. Remember that.
Free Music Review: Dark, Depressing, and Energetic...A Winning Combination for My Chemical Romance.
Hit: 5 Stars
New Jersey has been the breeding ground for some very interesting and disparate musical sounds. Musicians like Springsteen and Bon Jovi paved the way for the hard working, blue-collar musical pedigree that symbolizes Jersey's everyman roots. Work hard, work often, and make music you enjoy. My Chemical Romance is a band whose work ethic and energy match that of their musical talent. Incorporating sounds from three generations of punk, rock, metal, and pop and even a bit of Broadway,"The Black Parade" delivers dark and morbid with enough punch and emotion to make it a record that needs to find a way into your collection.
The themes of death and dying are frequent on this album, especially in the first few tracks. The opener "The End" is a bombastic track that could have fit perfectly on Pink Floyd's "The Wall". It's symbolically abrupt ending segues into the energetic and fast-paced track "Dead". Heavy guitars propel the metal pounding of "This is How I Disappear" and continue on the gothic and melodic sound of "The Sharpest Lives". First single "Welcome to the Black Parade" showcases the signature sound of the band: loud, melodic, and anthemic. Though death is a constant in each track, ironically, so is life. Vocalist Gerard Way and company lace each track with enough melody and spirit to break through the dark themes.
Toning down with Way's emotionally pained vocals of "I Don't Love You", MCR kicks the guitars back up with the bass-driven hard sound of "House of Wolves". "Cancer" has a haunting and depressing chorus,"The hardest part of this, is leaving you.." but is a beautifully bitter look at a man dying in his hospital bed. "Mama" is another great track, starting with a jaunty melody that kicks into a lively chorus. "Sleep" doesn't really stand out, but "Teenagers" and "Disenchanted" are quite impressive. "Famous Last Words" is one of the best tracks on the album, blending multiple musical styles into a cohesive and entertaining mix that ends the album on a great note (there is a one minute long, bizarre and Beatle-esque hidden track called "Blood").
Clocking in at just over 52 minutes, "The Black Parade" is a wonderful collection of tracks. Elements of bands from Kiss to Queen to Green Day are clearly present, but so are shades of Broadway and opera; clearly My Chemical Romance has a sound incorporating many musical influences. The record's production values are solid; Frank Iero and Ray Toro's guitars are right in your face but Way's vocals get buried at times. Though dark thematically, emotionally, and lyrically, this album has enough life and commercial viability that it should meet with the same success as "Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge". Fans of the band will find plenty to enjoy, and this could be the album that breaks them into the mainstream. For these Jersey boys, though, I think they will be quite content building their fan base the blue-collar way, one grand album at a time. Highly Recommended.
A.G. Corwin
St.Louis, MO
Free Music Review: Deserving of Your Attention - a brilliant piece of work
Hit: 5 Stars
Although different from earlier releases, make no mistake this brilliant and ambitious album retains the MCR trademark. Earlier MCR albums (which I also like very much), have had a greater sense of urgency and spontaneity - The Black Parade is measured, deliberate and focused.
The Black Parade is a Concept (thematic) album based on the voyage through the death process of "the patient". Unlike "Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge" their second album (also a concept album), the metaphor and fiction have not been plied as thickly - the audience is lead on a journey that is in essence a thinly veiled reflective analysis of Gerard Way's (lead vocals and lyricist), own life. Growing up as a somewhat overweight introverted nerdy kid, who was ostracised by the mainstream, Gerard initially pursued a career as a comic book illustrator, but quickly became disillusioned after working in the industry. Having witnessed events of 9/11 on his way to work, he decided to do something more meaningful with his life....that something became music. After forming the band, MCR very quickly exploded into popularity and Gerard found himself catapulted to rock icon status - initially his coping mechanism for rite of passage being pills and alcohol, which almost pulled the band apart. Now well free of the chemical props, Gerard has embraced his position as "rock star" and driving force of a band that will surely find a position in rock history. This album is very much about putting the uglier moments of his life under the microscope.
Musically, the band has matured and gained a greater sense of artistic confidence - allowing them to take risks to explore different musical styles. Yes of course they have incorporated sounds and styles from other artists and genres (and how many other artists haven't), but they do it in such a way as to retain MCR integrity. We are exposed to a lot more of Gerard's vocal capability (somewhat buried in the more chaotic layers of guitars, yelling and screaming of earlier albums), the guitar work is much more skilful and "positioned", and a broader range of instruments have been introduced to the suite of sounds - all adding to richer, more multidimensional pieces of work. Each song is a stand alone gem, different from the next - varying in tempo and style to suit the message. The lyrics are simpler, direct and more visually powerful than those of previous albums.
This album is evidence of a band that has a greater sense of clarity about their music and what they want to say through it. Sadly, it's likely that this album will see the loss of MCR's hardcore emo/punk fans, but the gain is a broader audience who can appreciate the music for what it is rather than something from a genre the band supposedly represents.
I have added The Black Parade to my all time favourite classic album list, but for those who are uncertain, at least listen to it all the way through - it is most deserving of your attention.
Free Music Review: If Death Is Anything Like This CD, I'll Walk In Front Of a Bus Tomorrow
Hit: 5 Stars
The thought that haunts me at night is the fact that I almost didn't buy this CD. That would have ended up being a huge mistake. What caused me to question whether or not this would be a purchase I would regret is the fact that it is about death. Often, I find songs about death to be depressing and I didn't like the idea of buying an entire album that depressed me. However, thanks to a five-star review in Alternative Press, I bought the CD the same week it came out and came to be very thankful that I did. Although the CD's theme is death, it's not in the least bit depressing (except for the song "Cancer" which amazing nonetheless). It's ironic how an album about death can make you feel so alive.
The quirky lyrics of "The End" immediately grab you and transition you into the next song, "Dead!". "Dead!" is an upbeat song that's extremely catchy. With Gerard's trademark vocal flourishes, it becomes one of the many standout tracks from the album. Once I had listened to "This is How I Disappear" and "The Sharpest Lives" (both amazing by the way), I just knew that this was going to be one of the best albums I own. "Welcome to the Black Parade" is next. This is the song everyone knows by heart (even you don't own the album) so I won't bother going over the logistics. "I Don't Love You" takes the album to a more melancholy place. Fortunately, it never leaves you counting the seconds to the next fast song. "House of Wolves" is perhaps my favorite track on the album, although I love them all. It has great bass and I love the way Gerard uses his voice to make the song more theatrical. "Cancer" is a touching song told from the point of view of a man dying from cancer. "Mama" seems as if it is a song from a musical that has been misplaced, although it still fits with the rest of the CD. It's originality is heightened even more by the cameo by Liza Minnelli. The spoken intro to "Sleep," a slower song, is made from actual recordings of Gerard talking about his dreams into a tape recorder throughout the making of the album. "Teenagers" is an upbeat tongue in cheek song, while "Disenchanted" could be catagorized as more of a ballad (if you can consider anything done my MCR as a ballad). "Famous Last Words," the second single, is a very powerful song. It didn't hook me right away, but then, randomly one day, it grabbed hold and I was almost moved to tears just listening to it. Finally, the bonus track, "Blood" (which is quite an original, entertaining closer) ends the album.
The more I listen to this album, the more I love it, and, after seeing them live, it became my favorite album of all time. If you buy one CD this year, make it "The Black Parade". So, to sum up, this album rocks and you need to go see MCR live.
My favorite songs:
"Dead!"
"The Sharpest Lives"
"Welcome to the Black Parade"
"House of Wolves"
"Mama"
"Famous Last Words"
"Blood"
...and all the other songs I didn't list.
Free Music Review: One of the best cds I own
Hit: 5 Stars
My Chemical romance is just one of my favorite bands ever. ( I'm 11 if you're wondering). It's different from their first two cds ( I brought you my bullets, you brought me your love and Three cheers for sweet revenge) in a sense that TPB is a little bit darker. I got the cd mostly for Welcome to the black parade but I have come to love all of the songs on the cd.
The end [4/5] Not my favorite song but definitely a good one. You gotta love a cd that starts with a song called "The End".
Dead! [5/5] One of their best songs in my opinion. I personaly love the Lalala part. This is a really fun song to sing along too.
This is how I disappear [3/5] Much heavier than their other songs. There's a lot more screaming than some of their other songs. The lyrics for this one aren't my favorite.
The sharpest lives [5/5] I LOVE the lyrics to this song. It also has a nice fast beat. I can listen to this song for hours.
Welcome to the black parade [34.5/5] This is the song that the whole cd revolves around. The chorus is fun to sing with but the lyrics aren't my favorite.
I don't love you [5/5] This is a very moving song. This is one of those songs that I can listen to for hours.
House of Wolves [5/5] The thing I like aboutr this song is the beat. It has some very good guitar in it too. I start singing along to this when I don't even realize it. :-)
Cancer [5/5] This by far is the deepest and saddest song on the whole cd. I cried the first time I heard it. This is my favorite song out of everything I listen to.
Mama [4.5/5] I like the beat on this one. It takes awhile to get used to but it's fun just to listen to over and over.
Sleep [3/5] This is my least favorite song on the whole album, But I still find kind of relaxing to listen to.
Teenagers [5/5] My friends and I LOVE this song. We listen to it all the time. It has more of a fifties beat to it. If you sing just make sure your parents aren't around because it has lots of explicit stuff in it.;P
Disenchanted [3.5/5] According to MCR this is the second oldest songs on the album next to WTTBP. It's kinda sad and slow but like Sleep, I find it relaxing.
Famous last words [5/5] The second single off of TBP, it is a great song to listen too. It starts out slow but picks up speed by the chorus. Another fun song to sing along to.
Blood [hidden track] [4/5] This song is silent for the first 1:23 and is right after "Famous last words" It has more of a rag-tune beat beat and only has piano and Gerard's voice. It takes awhile to get used to but is a fun way to end a great cd.