Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Review: My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade

Label: Reprise

Released: October 31, 2006

Often when a band takes steps to broaden their appeal outside of their core audience, they flounder. This is particularly true if the band strongly rooted in personal appeal and emotional energy. They can fall into the traps of over-production and self-importance and the result is usually an uncomfortable, lackluster effort. After the success of My Chemical Romance's 2004 major label debut, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, they were in just such a position. They not only faced the challenge of following up that album's success, but also of leveraging the new opportunities that success brought rather than getting bogged down in them.

Ironically, the album opens with "The End." That irony, the sound of the respirator and the whine of Gerald Way's voice leaves little question that this an emo album, yet the Queen-like theatrics right out of the gate show that it's so much bigger than just emo. From there, the band follows that lead. Sometimes the result is relatively straightforward, only tweaked slightly for a larger audience. "This is How I Disappear" is essentially an emo song with a bigger sound and a bit of a metal edge. Their sound is blown up for a bigger stage with the arena rock, guitar driven hooks of "The Sharpest Lives." Huge, manic riffs take "Famous Last Words" to the next level. And these are the songs that play it safe.

"House of Wolves" and "Teenagers" are rockers with the swagger of garage rock. The former's punk rock energy rolls out in thumping drums and ringing guitars. The latter is a lighthearted blues rock number with a bit of swing. Both of these songs are fairly standard rock songs, yet sound completely like My Chemical Romance at the same time.

Like any big rock album, The Black Parade has its share of ballads. "I Don't Love You" is a slow anti-ballad that crosses emo's sad drone with hard rock's soft side. "Cancer" has many of the qualities of a power ballad with a dash of Supertramp, but the lyrics tie it tightly to the band’s maudlin roots. Even "Disenchanted," one of the album's weaker tracks, takes the old My Chemical Romance and reinvents them with big guitars and string accents. While they aren't my favorite tracks, they serve to give the album the texture that a great rock should have.

The whole album sees My Chemical Romance stepping out of their former, smaller selves, but there are a few tracks that illustrate that more than others. "Mama" goes back and forth between quiet parts that hint at old world folk and loud crunch they've taken from punk. Throw in the affected vocals reminiscent of Roger Water’s work on the Wall and the result is a song well beyond the reaches of any other band from the emo explosion. As if that isn't enough, My Chemical Romance creates a rock masterpiece in "Welcome to the Black Parade." It’s gentle and passionate, melancholy and angry at the same time. It has emo roots, but the guitar work would make Brian May wonder if it was his own. It is, quite simply, an anthem, a song whose bombast resonates rather than alienates.

The album finishes with "Blood," a hidden track mixing vaudeville goofiness and emo darkness. It's not quite the same, but to some extent it plays the role of "Her Majesty" on Abbey Road, a light note to end on just in case someone takes the whole work too seriously.

My Chemical Romance has managed to make an album for both the masses and their core fans and it will satisfy both camps. Rather than dummying their sound down to sell more records, they've stretched out beyond the Smiths, beyond punk rock, beyond the confines of emo. At its best (and it is at its best throughout most of its 50+ minutes), it hints at Queen in both sound and ambition. At its worst, it’s the album that makes emo matter in the great big world of rock n roll.

Rating: 9/10

Note: For another take on this album, check out Chuck's review over at Pratt Songs.

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3 Comments:

Blogger taotechuck said...

Interesting review. You found more of a classic rock influence, while I latched onto roots that (to me) grew from hair metal. And your parallel with Abbey Road is very perceptive. I'll have to go back and listen to a few of the songs I didn't like now that I've read your comments.

9:50 PM  
Blogger My Chemical Romance Fan said...

Hey, I like My Chemical Romance too. You should take a look at the page I dedicated to them at
http://myxchemicalxblog.blogspot.com I'd appreciate your comments.

5:47 AM  
Blogger My Chemical Romance Fan said...

Thanks for your comment back. I'm only new to the whole blogging thing, and am looking for content to stick on my site, so it doesn't look all lonely with just one post.

I have to say that I prefer the old My Chemical Romance. I think the only reason for this is the fact that they're played on the radio, TV etc. and everyone likes them. I get jealous about things like that lol.

The new album is dead ace, but it takes a while to get used to it. I look forward to keeping this conversation up =]

3:49 AM  

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