Dust off your plad fingerless gloves and turn your straighteners up to the highest heat - the boys are back in town, my friends.
My Chemical Romance have announced their return for the throne as the original renowned kings of the Emo scene. With iconic tracks that changed the voice of a generation, such as 'Welcome To The Black Parade', 'Famous Last Words', 'Teenagers',, and 'I'm Not Okay (I Promise)', the cherished faces of My Chemical Romance have punched their way out of the shadows and landed directly on our doorsteps for an all-out 2019 reunion.
Formed in 2001 by frontman Gerard Way and drummer Matt Pelissier, My Chemical Romance singed with Eyeball Records and released their first studio album, 'I Brought Your My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love' back in 2002. And, from there, went on to change the music scene with powerful ballads that spoke for millions of souls around the world.
In 2004, the band signed a major record deal with Reprise Records and released 'Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge' which included smash-hit singles such as 'I'm Not Okay (I Promise)'. which peaked at the number 4 spot in the US Alternative charts, and 19 in the UK.
The boys went on to tour with Avenged Sevenfold in late 2004 with their second studio album. Fast-forward a couple of years and the faces of Emo were plastered on every corner of the world. From t-shirts to posters, dinner plates to coffee mugs - My Chemical Romance had forged their names in the peaks of the highest mountains of alternative music.
'Welcome To The Black Parade' broke out in 2006. And, hey, do I really need to explain that album to you? Even ninety-year-old grannies know of the marching band and still aspire to be the saviour of the broken. Because, to be fair, the album is still regarded as one of the greatest of all-time. And even after almost fifteen years it is still listened to on a regular basis by millions of lifelong fans.
By the fall of 2006, fans across the globe swarmed to the band for comfort. Listening to their every word and embracing their music like the closest friend a kid could have, the world soon looked to My Chemical Romance like a disobedient child would to an anarchy symbol.
Come 2007, the whole world knew the name. With endless spools of headliner tours, sellout gigs, top of the range merch, and dozens of instantly recognisable tracks, My Chemical Romance secured their spot as one of the most loved bands of a generation.
The lads released their fourth studio album, 'Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys' in 2010; reaching the US Billboard number one spot later that year.
With a twist on genres and a dip into the psychedelic rock influences, the boys looked to take a turn for the better with a new outlook on the band and its future.
Despite receiving a rather ambivalent bag of feedback from both fans and reporters, the album still soared to the apex of the charts and continued to reel in millions of other fans from various genre pools. And with that, My Chemical Romance continued to storm the stage and wear the thorny crowns as the kingpins of the alternative scene.
In 2012, the band announced that they would be building their own studio in Los Angeles, where they would write and produce their fifth album for 2013. Working alongside a fifth member of the band who played as the pianist for two of the released albums, a new domain called 'MCR5' was established as a side-project for the band.
'Conventional Weapons' was a project consisting of publishing ten unreleased songs written and recorded a year before their fourth studio album in 2009. Pushing out two tracks a month, the project spanned from October 2012 to February 2013, where, after completion, the band returned to the shadows to map out the bands future.
Sadly, as 2013 rolled out, the band had made the official announcement that they would be splitting up and continuing their musical journeys alone with solo projects. The band made the announcement on their official website on the 22nd March 2013.
"Being in this band for the past 12 years has been a true blessing. We've gotten to go places we never knew we would. We've been able to see and experience things we never imagined possible. We've shared the stage with people we admire, people we look up to, and best of all, our friends. And now, like all great things, it has come time for it to end. Thanks for all of your support, and for being part of the adventure."
The boys released a compilation of their greatest works in 2014 titled 'May Death Never Stop You' with the unreleased track, 'Fake Your Death', along with mixed material from their active years between 2001 and 2013. But, apart from that, the boys continued along narrower paths separately and let the band name die out for younger generations to never discover.
However, with a name like My Chemical Romance, everybody has heard at least one track from albums recorded over a decade ago. And you bet your arse the merch never left the market rails since they disbanded. Sure, they might've left the name to dissolve into ashes, but it's the fans who kept the pit burning all these years. It's those devoted kids who refused to let their brothers go that kept the name more relevant than ever. So, in ways, My Chemical Romance, despite falling apart, could never really die at all.
But hold up - what's this we hear? You've got to be kidding, right? The boys are back together at last? Oh you better believe it.
Rather fittingly, on the 31st October 2019, the captions 'Return' and 'Like Phantoms Forever...' were released under the bands name with a date marked 20th December 2019. With an official announcement for a comeback gig in Los Angeles, the band have looked to claw back their thrones once again.
Tickets for the show sold out in minutes. But fingers crossed we'll all get a chance to bag an opportunity or six to see the boys back in action again. Only, this time, we've got so much more to look forward to. With new merchandise, material, shows, and hopefully the well-deserved sixth studio album, My Chemical Romance will be on most of our radars for the coming months.
So, what's next? A complete shift in gears for the genre? A cheeky feature with a rapper like a billion other bands have done so in the past? Or can we expect a nice familiar feel with classic tracks like the legendary Black Parade anthem? Time will tell, of course. But one thing's for sure: we're all incredibly stoked to have these guys back in our shadows.
FORMER EMO KIDS UNITE!
- J Tury The Void (Editor)
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