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The Black Parade - My Chemical Romance

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The Black Parade - My Chemical Romance Empty The Black Parade - My Chemical Romance

Post  Kasil Thu Mar 12, 2009 5:35 pm

Artist: My Chemical Romance
Album: The Black Parade
Label: Reprise Records
Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop Punk, Emo (debatable)


Quick Background

The Black Parade was my first MCR album, after thoroughly enjoying Welcome to the Black Parade and Famous Last Words. I bought the album and really loved the music. This album kind of opened the scope of music I would listen to, and music I would enjoy. The Black Parade is their third studio album, a follow-up to 2004’s Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge (which I have also reviewed, check it out if you want). It’s a concept album mainly based around mortality and death, but also tells the story of a character known as “The Patient” as he struggles to live, dying at a young age of a “heart problem”. Also, “Dead!” was featured in the 360 version of Guitar Hero II, and “Teenagers”, “This is How I Disappear”, and “Famous Last Words” were featured as downloadable tracks.


Track Listing

Listening Link
1. The End
2. Dead!
3. This is How I Disappear
4. The Sharpest Lives
5. Welcome to the Black Parade*
6. I Don’t Love You**
7. House of Wolves
8. Cancer
9. Mama
10. Sleep
11. Teenagers*
12. Disenchanted
13. Famous Last Words*
* - Single
** - UK Only Single


Individual Track Review

1. The End –
This track is basically an intro into “Dead!”, and will be reviewed as such. It begins with the slow and steady beep of an electrocardiogram, with an acoustic guitar coming in, then Gerard. It continues like this for a verse, until the guitars and drums kick in for a powerful chorus (well, sort of chorus). Repeat the process, make the second “chorus” more dramatic, and in comes…

2. Dead!
The ECG flatlines. A steady single guitar rhythm plays over it. The drums kick in, the band screams, and Ray Toro kicks off the album with an insane solo. The track maintains a great, steady pulse, with an energetic chorus, TWO awesome solos, and for the outro, a gang vocal that’s catchy and easy to sing along with. A great pair of tracks. 5/5

3. This is How I Disappear
Upon reflection and listening to the other bands albums, this is really the closest that The Black Parade gets to its predecessors, which is almost ironic considering this is probably the worst track on the album. The chorus is very repetitive, and while the music is similar to the “former” MCR, the vocals and the lyrics really aren’t, which is why I think it fails. If nothing else, a filler. 3/5

4. The Sharpest Lives
This track is decent, I guess. The first verse is very powerful lyrically, but the chorus doesn’t really deliver and the rest of the song doesn’t really compare to it. The guitar melody is good, but rarely played. The drumbeat is pretty simple. Even the short-lived solo can’t help. Again, a filler at best. 3/5

5. Welcome to the Black Parade
The track begins with a resounding G, leading into the piano melody. Gerard begins singing, accompanied by a snare drum, and eventually the guitar counter-melody comes in, followed by a trumpet chord, leading a heavy part with both guitars playing, followed by a screaming Gerard repeating the first two lines of the song, leading into a collective release. The drum kit kicks in, and the song kicks off. Most memorable for its chorus and (as the band says) “Annie” style gang vocals, this is an excellent track that shows the risks MCR was willing to take on the album. 5/5

6. I Don’t Love You
Even though this is basically MCR’s first ballad, they did a pretty good job with it. It intros with a single guitar playing a riff, followed by the rest of the band, and then goes into a much softer verse. The pre-chorus is a bit heavier, and the chorus is memorable more-so for its lyrics than the music behind it. There’s a fitting solo later in the song. Overall, a solid track. 4/5

7. House of Wolves
Starts off with a tom rhythm and pickslides, with the pickslides crescendoing into the song’s explosive opening. It’s a very catchy descending riff, played by all of the guitars (including Bass) and a pretty good drum part. The verse is drums and bass only backing Gerard, before a reintroduction of the guitars during the prechorus, and a powerful chorus follows. The lyrics are about the Patient thinking he’s going to hell, and the music fits. An excellent track, one of my favorites from the album. 5/5

8. Cancer
This is, like, THE slow song on this album (“Mama” and “I Don’t Love You” are “slow” tempo wise, but the guitars are heavy). There is no guitar, and yet, it’s probably one of the best tracks on the album. “Cancer” starts off with a piano melody, followed by Gerard’s voice. After the first chorus, the drums and bass come in, albeit softly. There are back-up vocals for emphasis during the end of the final chorus. The lyrics are probably the most powerful on the album (I cried hearing this after my Grandfather died of Leukemia). An excellent track. 5/5

9. Mama
This song marks new landmarks of creativity for MCR. The various changing rhythms and melodies all blended into one song sound amazing. I’m not a huge fan of the premise, especially since it contradict’s MCR’s own saying “House of Wolves is probably the only point on the album where the Patient thinks he’s going to Hell”, but could also be perceived as memories of the Patient’s mother. The guitars are generally heavy outside of the first verses’ “oom-puh” sound. Also features guest vocals by Liza Menelli. A pretty solid track. 4/5

10. Sleep
“Sleep” is one of the heavier songs on the album. It features a piano intro with a conversation with Gerard about his night “terrors” (“they’re worse than tremors, they’re, these terrors) played softly over it, until the band kicks in with a powerful guitar intro. The verse is piano, acoustic guitar, and Gerard, and while the melody is a bit repetitive, the lyrics are pretty good. The pre-chorus brings in the guitar melody, and the chorus is a throwback to the intro. It features screams (of “wake up”, ironically) later in the song. A very solid track. 4/5

11. Teenagers
Being the odd song out on this album, “Teenagers” is much more pop than anything MCR has produced. It has a decent guitar melody and is overall very catchy. It’s not really the typical MCR, or really like anything else they’ve done, which is one of the reasons I found it was odd that it became a single. It also helped with the band'’ mainstream popularity. The song is mainly guitar based, with underlying bass through and an occasional symbol tap in the verses. The second guitar and the rest of the drum kit kick in for the chorus. Albeit different, a pretty good track. 4/5

12. Disenchanted
Another slower track, second only to “Cancer”. Disenchanted features an acoustic guitar melody for the intro, with Gerard’s vocals over that, until the line “It was the roar of the crowd…” where the electric guitars and drums kick in. It’s not a very heavy song, and not particularly catchy (the chorus is a bit confusing lyrically), but it’s a good track. The bridge features a pretty good solo, backed by some pretty powerful lyrics. A solid track. 4/5

13. Famous Last Words
My favorite song. Period. Not my favorite Black Parade song, not my favorite MCR song, my FAVORITE SONG. It opens in a minor, giving it a darker tone, with a single guitar and Gerard. The rest of the band plays on increasingly frequent downbeats until Frank Iero comes in with the guitar “motif”, per se, and the band really kicks it into gear. At the chorus, the song shifts into major, and it’s epic. There’s not really any particularly amazing instrumental (except maybe the solo or the riff in the final choruses, but even then…), but the arrangement is so well done that it kicks major ass. My favorite song, and needless to say, the best on the album. 5/5


Overall Review

While oft looked down upon by MCR fans for the change of style into more mainstream music, it’s still one of my favorite albums. While some tracks are drastically filler, others are so great it makes up for it. The great inspiration of past albums combined with a slightly different style makes for a great record. 5/5

Oh, and I "forgot" Blood on purpose. It's a joke.
Kasil
Kasil

Posts : 6
Join date : 2009-03-09

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