#361 My Chemical Romance, 'The Black Parade' (2006)

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Emo rock has been around since the ‘80s, essentially, but it hit its zenith in 2006 and this was one of the preeminent records of the genre. I clearly remember when this album was released. An ex-girlfriend introduced me to MCR’s music with the album ‘Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge,’ but this album was the one that shot them into the stratosphere, along with sales of guyliner (probably). The album is a rock opera centred on a character that is dying from cancer, known as “The Patient.” The album tells the story of his death and subsequent experiences in the afterlife.

The centrepiece of the album is ‘Welcome To The Black Parade,’ frankly a brilliant song, standalone or part of the record. “The Black Parade” is the alter-ego of MCR, which saw the band perform in constume, a concept clearly inspired by The Beatles’ ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.’ There’s some ripper guitar playing and incredible drumming on this album, a lot more proficient than I remember them being. To be honest, not having listened to this record in full in about 14 years or so, I was massively surprised. It still holds up. The album has sold in excess of 4.5 million copies worldwide. The band would breakup in 2013 but announced a series of reunion shows to take place throughout 2020. As of writing, those shows haven’t happened thanks to COVID. Lead singer, Gerard Way, has enjoyed success as a solo artist following the break up, as well as being the creator of the Netflix TV show, ‘The Umbrella Academy’ (based on the comics that he wrote).

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