They could have called this “My Chemical Romance on Death and Dying.”
Big, booming and bombastic, the New Jersey quintet's third album is also bold in its approach to mortality. This set of 1970s-flavored rock embraces topics like cancer, one's final moments and life in the great beyond.
That might not sound upbeat but the music is decidedly so, thanks to classic rock influences ranging from Queen and T. Rex to ELO and Pink Floyd that run throughout the 13 songs. Mix that with punk-flavored pounding courtesy of drummer Bob Bryar and it makes for a wild blend that borrows liberally from the past but still sounds pertinent.
Singer Gerard Way rides a wave of guitar blasts on tracks like “Dead!” and the band's harmonies swell against the intricately arranged “This Is How I Disappear.” Best of all is “Welcome to the Black Parade,” which exquisitely captures the final thoughts of a dying man with a complex blast of power that sounds like a cross between Green Day and Queen.
MCR strays too far sometimes, even bringing in Liza Minnelli for a couple of lines in the over-the-top “Mama,” but that disaster isn't enough to take away from the pure intensity of “House of Wolves,” the lyrically piercing “Teenagers” and the steady-building, Pink Floyd-flavored opener “The End.”
