My Chemical Romance is a band possessed. Within the 14 songs on their sophomore record, The Black Parade, they channel the essence of several different bands and a multitude of styles.
To my utter dismay, I discovered that MCR's most prominent style on their latest release is reminiscent of both Blink 182 and Sum 41. Not that there's anything wrong with these bands but, relatively, this is a downgrade for MCR. This then begs the question: Has MCR turned sweet rock sugar into nothing more than a commercial dioxide of pop-rock?
On their debut album Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, MCR hit music listeners with a plethora of quality, guitar-charged rock ballads -- "Helena" and "The Ghost of You," just to name two. Their sound was more rock than pop, with heavy guitar riffs and intense vocals, even though some critics had already placed them in the rock-pop category. What positioned them outside other rock groups of the time was the sheer emotional passion in their pieces.
Now, in their second album, MCR has either lost some of this passion or is trying something new. If it's the latter then there is hope that MCR might return to the sound of their first release -- or at least to a less imitated one. If it's the former then, we must pay our respects to another band lost to the popular music machine.
Don't think, however, that all of The Black Parade is a study in commercially popular guitar riffs and vocals. Tracks like "Mama" and "This is How I Disappear" are heavier pieces that have a wilder guitar and vocal presence than the others. "This is How I Disappear," one of their darker pieces, is thick with a guitar sound that conjures up thoughts of death metal acts.
From pop-rock to death metal, MCR adds another style of music to their rap sheet with a '60s beach-bummer chord, reminiscent of luaus and surfer days, in "The Sharpest Lives." Unlike the use of other styles on the album, this track melds surf style with their sound from Three Cheers.
Not all of the stylistic combinations were successful, however. On their title track, "Welcome to the Black Parade," the vocals near the end sound unerringly like a Sum 41 song with the guitarist channeling a bit of Queen -- not a bad mix but certainly not an inspired choice.
The dark humor of the lyrics, most of which center on death and lost love, an intensely original topic, are offset by melodies in the major key. Thus any emotional affectation is diminished by the inherently optimistic undertones in the major key. "I Don't Love You" and "Cancer," however, balance these two disparate notions. Only "I Don't Love You" comes close to approximating MCR's former sound -- but barely. Within the confines of this album it is most assuredly one of the better tracks. "Cancer," on the other hand, is a brief emotional rock ballad, equipped with piano and strings.
So is My Chemical Romance selling us pop-rocks or is this just a phase? Hard to say -- there were several good points on this latest release but overall it was a slight disappointment. Hopefully a third release will clear up any confusion about their genre orientation. While we're waiting for that, it's advisable to ration one's intake of The Black Parade because too much candy will make you sick.
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