With the recent release of their newest album The Black Parade, My Chemical Romance are on the top of their game. recess' Alex Frydman joined in on a conference call with rhythm guitarist Frank Iero to chat about the album and their upcoming tour.
Frank Iero on The Black Parade:
I would say it's an epic battle between life and death, set to music.
On the resurgence of concept albums:
You would think bands got together and said we have to step up our game. It's not that. We're over those single- and hook-driven albums. People are tired of that. So there's this resurgence of real artists and musicians who take pride in their music and the art behind it. [Concept albums] are doing great things for rock 'n' roll and the people behind it.
On MCR's new fans:
There are lots of new faces in the crowd, which is really cool. For one, we got into this because we weren't the cool kids, so we were constantly searching for acceptance and found that in shows. That was my place in the world. So it's awesome to be accepting of even more people. And all the old fans are accepting too.
On their evolving sound:
On the new album we were looking for somewhere to go-we weren't sure where we wanted to go, but we knew we wanted to go. We treated it like it was the last chance we had and created something we're 100 percent proud of. This living each day like it's your last, it's our mindset, from shows to touring to recording. So, I don't know what [the new sound] will be, but I think it'll be spectacular.
On what makes a great audience:
It's an audience that you can feel their passion coming back to you. In a great audience it's a mirror effect-everything you're playing comes back to you, and you feel like you're part of something bigger than whatever's in the room.
On growing up in a musical home:
My most important music-related experience growing up would have to be my dad and grandpa. They both played drums and still do, and teach. That how I learned music. It was the most important thing to them, how they communicated, and I wanted to be a part of it.
On performing in arenas:
The hardest thing about shows now is it's a totally different thing connecting to hundreds versus thousands of people. Going into an arena it's a different mindset to connect with people so far away, and it takes awhile to perfect. And we're definitely on our way to doing it, seeing individuals instead of just a sea of heads. It's not wanting them to just say "good show," but walking away with an experience.
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