Photo courtesy of mychemicalromance.com
By Kyle Karnuta
Think you know My Chemical Romance?
Think again.
After nine years of owning the “emo” genre, My Chemical Romance is finally slipping out of the grasp of that stereotype. Their new album, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys was hailed as "the greatest rock album of the year" even before its release. Sampling from rock sounds reminiscent of the Beatles, Elvis Presley, the Killers, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam blended with techno, punk and heavy synth, this album earns that brand.
Affectionately known by fans as MCR, the group boasts true authenticity. Their sound doesn’t just stand out from other artists; each record tells a completely different story with a distinctive soundtrack to accompany it. This art of storytelling is one of MCR’s greatest strengths. In the past, these stories lamented the inevitability of death and pain while singer and front-man Gerard Way found new ways to look asphyxiated in sharp black clothing coupled with ghost white face makeup. Needless to say, the band quickly maintained a reputation for the glorification of a “goth” or “emo” lifestyle. The true appeal of Danger Days, however, is its freshness in comparison to MCR in the past.
The birth of the album was marked not by trauma or pain, but by Way’s love of comic books. Aided by past experience as a comic book author, he was inspired to create vigilante personas for each of the band members. These characters, the Killjoys, live in the deserts surrounding a concrete city in a world on the brink of an apocalypse. With laser guns and speeding cars, they fight against Better Living Industries (BL/ind), whose oppression rivals that found in George Orwell’s 1984. The album is not the soundtrack for this ‘comic book,’ but instead feels like an oral comic book you listen to instead of read.
“Na Na Na,” the first single released from the album, is brimming with enthusiasm and raw power, with Way practically shouting about the rebellious lives of the Killjoys and the decimated freedom they must protect. The music videos for “Na Na Na” and “Sing” are as essential to the album’s plotline as the songs are. Earning almost as much support as the video for “I’m Not Okay” (from the album Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge), they explain the Killjoy’s mission with details that could only be speculated about with the music alone.
Despite the success of the singles and videos, some devoted fans have been critical of the album. Honestly, Danger Days cannot compare to the genius of its predecessor, The Black Parade. The lyrics in Danger Days often feel childish or just plain cheesy, a huge disappointment in comparison to the originality and power of The Black Parade. The narrating character, Dr. Death Defy, makes seemingly random appearances in between songs that limit the cohesiveness of the album. And, while the album exudes an “all-American” theme, it had me laughing during the National Anthem for the first time in my life. The band tried to create not just an album, but an entire world for the Killjoys to roam; it can seem a bit chaotic in a mess of plot, hidden references and brute noise.
These shortcomings aside, Danger Days is a great album. Its story is not as deep as those of My Chemical Romance’s past three albums, but perhaps that was intentional. Each song bleeds with the freedom and fun that courses through the veins of the album, Way’s voice seems to have improved and lead guitarist Ray Toro’s solos (which are guaranteed to breathe new life into any song) are more prevalent than ever before. The use of color has been revitalized in music videos, merchandise and even Gerard Way’s hair (from black to candy apple red), while songs like “Na Na Na,” “Bulletproof Heart” and “S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W” unify the album and explore the musical range of which My Chemical Romance is now capable.
The carefree attitude of the album could be the cause for such unrest in diehard fans. While all of MCR’s previous works have differed from each other, Danger Days is by far the most drastic change the band has ever attempted. The progress that the boys have made musically is evident; it was a risk, but it paid off. Take it from me: I can’t stop headbanging, shouting lyrics and dancing to this album. Danger Days may be daring, but it is certainly worth your time.
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