Despite what most people say, I'd say that the early 2000's wasn't a total waste for rock music; sure, there was a lot of hot garbage released during that portion of the new millennium, but I think that bands like My Chemical Romance are proof that not all was lost. And while I'm aware that openly loving this band comes with the presumption that I am (or was) some kind of bang straightening, eye-liner wearing emo kid; you'll be surprised (and pleased, I'm sure) to know that I am in fact, a pretty boring guy.
Regardless of image however, My Chem put out some of the strongest rock albums in the 2000's. despite only putting out 4 proper studio LPs, I'd argue that their second and third LPs are proof that this band was far more than just another emo band with a big following. The sophomore album Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge is certainly on the more melodramatic spectrum, but it still contains some incredibly satisfying and worthwhile punk-infused rock songs that are enjoyable from start to finish.
However, it is this album, the band's third, that really shines as the band's opus. Sure, there is a portion of the My Chem fanbase that claims the band's final LP is actually better, I firmly stand by my decision. Simply put, The Black Parade is a big album. And I don't really mean big in the same way that say, a Swans album is; this isn't a very long album, but it is huge in terms of sound and ambition, especially coming from a band that was mostly known for singing about dead lovers and wearing tons of makeup (something they still do here).
The concept revolves around a character named The Patient, and his adventure into the realm of the dead. This concept is pretty loose, but it still culminates in a pretty satisfying way with the excellent "Famous Last Words" a track that was played endlessly back in 2007.
And that's where the album really shines; the songs. Every track on here with maybe the exception of "House of Wolves" are all incredibly catchy and captivating. Obvious standouts are the title track, which is a true classic at this point, nearly 10 years later, but there's also tracks such as "Dead!" and "The Sharpest Lives" that are just so infectious and explode into immensely satisfying and blood-pumping choruses.
Slower moments are also really well done here, especially on the album centerpiece "I Don't Love You" which sort of sounds like a Coldplay song at first, but turns into something unique, and the track "Cancer" is a vivid and oddly beautiful depiction of a person dying of cancer. This track in particular shows how great front-man Gerard is at painting a picture and building an interesting character with lyrics about how hard it is for the character to be departing from his family, and also how he is "soggy from the chemo" leads to a track that if listened to in the right setting can really send chills down your spine.
Aside from the aforementioned "Famous Last Words" which is the perfect end to an album that truly feels like some kind of gothic opera, there's also the strutting "Teenagers" which is essentially the rallying call of outcast teens all over America, and an incredibly lovable one at that.
Yeah, I like this album quite a bit. It's just so detailed and full of fantastic songwriting moments. It also eschews some of the band's more blatantly cheesy and melodramatic writing tendencies, instead opting for a more common writing style; even if they're still smothered in black eyeliner while doing it.
9.2/10
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