My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade Album Review

My Chemical Romance
The Black Parade
Album Review

An emo concept album? The Sgt Pepper of Screamo? There's got to be something to this album to warrant the amount of talk already generated. Emo is a funny thing really. It's strange the number of bands mis-labelled as emo. It's emotional hardcore remember, not watered-down punk rock with a bit of sixth form angst thrown on top.

My Chemical Romance have produced something here that negates all that moaning however. This is well-written stuff, catchy, melodic, and a step removed from all their imitators. The quality shines through in both the songwriting and the production, and they have enough time and maturity to put tongues in cheeks at times.

As a track, 'Dead!' actually becomes a little wearing after a while in terms of its jollity, but the rest of the material retains a distinct sense of longevity. 'This Is How I Disappear' is a lesson in songwriting that many of MCR contemporaries should sit through. To be honest the rest of the album follows this excellent form.

If you're not already excited about this album, please cast aside your prejudices and your preconceptions. This is classic stuff indeed.

Rich Edge