The Black Parade
from My Chemical Romance
[October 23, 2006 - Reprise]
Review by Jason PettigrewREVIEWS
This is not your sister's MCR—it's your parents'.
Read any interview with My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way, and he’ll usually be going off on how rock bands should be larger than life, just like his favorite comic-book heroes. Way’s always been obsessed with making grand, sweeping gestures (graphic-novel disc artwork, female-empowering stage banter, choreography at “punk” shows; hell, his band’s publishing company is called Blow The Doors Off The Jersey Shore Music), even in the days when his band were little more than friends of Thursday. This is why MCR are loved by lots of girls and reviled by scrawny young men in homemade Propagandhi tees.
Heroes in Modern Rock 2006 are hard to find. That’s why MCR looked backward for The Black Parade, embracing rock history and giving it fresh love bites on its flabby skin. The cavalcade of Parade floats salute album-oriented classic-rock (the bouncy, Cheap Trick-inspired “Dead”), jaunty mid-’70s British glam, the poodle-metal of the mid-’80s and its common signifier, the power ballad (“I Don’t Love You”). Rock history reference points abound, from the opening salvo (“The End”) coming off like the nephew of Pink Floyd’s “In The Flesh?” to the Foghat-live-at-Columbine boogie-rock of “Teenagers.” Vocally, Way conjures his Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge persona, while trying on vocal cords belonging to everyone from Freddie Mercury to Jack White (“House Of Wolves”). What’s really engaging is that The Black Parade is a concept album about death (physical, psychological, emotional; take your pick), yet even the most weepy sentiments are delivered with a swagger (“Cancer” or the Eastern European-flecked “Mama”), a blistering guitar lead (Ray Toro’s the rocker, Frank Iero’s the punker) or a joyful, bouncy cadence (supplied by Mikey Way and Bob Briar). One gets the feeling that My Chem are men out of time, given the ease they’ve rejuvenated these rock idioms. (Apparently, Gang Of Four, Radiohead and Talk Talk never did rock the Jersey shore much.)
The Black Parade is MCR’s whole raison d’etre rolled up into one mega-decibel calling card, replete with heroes, villains, terror, sadness and the unblinking conviction to put it all out there for celebration and ridicule. As one Way-worshipped rock icon once posited 30-some years ago, “Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?” Here’s to MCR making a career out of blurring that line.
ROCKS LIKE: Cheap Trick’s All Shook Up
My Chemical Romance’s Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge
Queen’s A Night At The Opera
USER 
(4)
(4)
Raw and Powerful; the best of MCR
09/19/2011 - 12:16am by SarahEliz
I was looking back through album reviews and I came across this. I remember listening to this album when I was 12, and it ment the world to me. What I didn't realize in seventh grade however, is how important to me it still is. Black Parade is the true core of MCR music. The album manages to shy away from the harder end of the spectrum while still keeping the gruff, emotional edge that their new album: Danger Days, sometimes lacks. The raw power of Gerard's voice combined with the clashing yet harmonious sound of Mikey, Ray, and Frank come together in the best way possible. There are no dull or mistaken songs on the album and while they all flow well together, they could all stand just as easily on their own. My personal favorites are the anthem of the album Welcome to the Black Parade, which always finds a way to inspire me and haunt me simultaneously, Mama: one of the most blood curtling and touching songs from MCR, and teenagers: one of the best jump around and fuck shit up songs ever penned. This album IS the shit. Next time your writing new music, go back to this.
Not as good as their old stuff.
04/07/2011 - 12:02pm by Allison Farley
Don't get me wrong - I really enjoyed this album. I just miss how they made their old music. The hardness of the sound seems to be fading away a bit. Definitely in their newest album. Ehh, I want some more tracks like "I'm Not Okay", "Helena", "Cemetary Drive". But it was pretty good.
Theatricalism
07/06/2010 - 9:31pm by xXSmotherMeXx
Very dark lyrics and beautiful vocals seemed to be the main focus on this album. I loved the raw and violent vocal and instrumental elements, this album does not dissapoint.
