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My Chemical RomanceThree Cheers For Sweet Revenge Reprise/Warner Explaining My Chemical Romance to someone who hasn't heard them before (which by now would be a very hard person to find) is actually quite difficult. They're not punk, they're not emo, but they're not really straight up rock 'n' roll either. There are elements of all of those in each and every track, yet there's nothing concrete you can put your finger on. Instead, words like "theatrical", "dramatic" and "dark" come to mind. Basically, this is the music Meatloaf might have made had he been born forty-something years later. My Chemical Romance have finally burst out of New Jersey and achieved the kind of success that most bands only dream of and, for a change, the hype is actually justified. A big step from their debut (2002's 'I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love', which has probably now sold more copies in the past six months than the past three years combined), the band have obviously put a lot into the past few years. Singer Gerard Way is singing a hell of a lot better, the songs are more complex and varied in sound, guitarist Frank Iero is boasting one of the best haircuts in the business and there's a lot more money behind production this time. The album's first singles I'm Not Okay (I Promise) and the beautiful Helena were obvious choices, but you'll find the real gems hidden in the album's rock-hard centre. To The End is furious yet somehow manages to keep a beat you can dance to, Ghost Of You is as close to a ballad as the band will probably ever get and The Jet Set Life Is Gonna Kill You builds up to an amazingly explosive chorus. Like a movie, a sweet and soft Interlude breaks the album up before some incredible guitar work on Thankyou For The Venom courtesy of Ray Toro (otherwise known as the guitarist that doesn't have all the teenage girls after him...). Hang 'Em High has an unexpected cowboy western feel to it, and Cemetery Drive has probably the best lyrics on the entire album, as Way paints a picture amongst the haunting melody. It's rare to find an album you can listen to from start to finish and press play to hear it all again straight away because you love each and every track. But this is one of those albums. Normally, I'd advise you to ignore 'hype' as a mere marketing tool, but for once it's actually justified. My Chemical Romance are amazing.  |
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