Simply enjoyable

My Chemical Romance (MCR) has had its share of brickbats. For one, it has been accused of being derivative. For another, listeners are often unable to peg its music to a definite category. It is rock but what sort of rock? Is it punk, emo, metal? Whatever. Still it cannot be denied that the music that this New Jersey band creates works. It affects the listener and can be amusing, disturbing, hateful, bombastic or just plain enjoyable.

Composed of Gerard Way on lead vocals; Mikey Way on bass; Bob Bryar on drums; Frank Iero on rhythm guitar and Ray Toro on lead guitar, MCR is but five years old and only on its third album outing. Released earlier were Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge and Life on the Murder Scene. Then recently, there came The Black Parade. Fans though are already caught up in a tizzy about what it has accomplished. In fact, the talented My Chemical Romance is being compared to the best groups we have today, think Green Day or those from the past like Pink Floyd, Queen or even the Beatles.

I did think of the Beatles when I saw the MCR’s video for its new single Welcome to the Black Parade. Are the members channeling Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts’ Club Band with those toy soldier costumes and parading characters? Now, these boys were perhaps inspired by those enduring images of the Liverpool Four but the music certainly goes beyond what The Beatles ever imagined. Think darker, loftier, weird, mad, awesome, fabulous, Harry Potter meets The Naked Lunch. My Chemical Romance decided to go over the top and it had a great ride getting there.

I hope that this description does not in any way deter the uninitiated from giving the music of MCR a listen. No way you will hate this one. The worst that could happen is you will end the album wondering where these guys got the ideas for those songs. The music, the lyrics, the way they twisted, expanded, cut and spliced everything deserve admiration. It is said that you need a touch of lunacy to bring out the genius and I must say that My Chemical Romance has everything, genius and lunacy in compounded doses.

The Black Parade continues the live fast, die young concept that MCR adopted from the onset. Gerard Way was inspired to write songs and form the group a few days after the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001. That might be the reason the group sound fatalistic. Strangely though but the resulting music comes across as a monumental celebration.

Get a load of the titles MCR came up with. The End, Dead! This is How I Disappear, The Sharpest Lives, Welcome to the Black Parade, I Don’t Love You, House of Wolves, Cancer, Mama, Sleep, Teenagers, Disenchanted and Famous Last Words. Not to forget. The band is playing better than ever and reaching the heights the members set for themselves with confidence and when in a tight spot, ingenuity.

The album is a hit. The single Welcome to The Black Parade is on top of the Hot Modern Tracks listing in Billboard this week. For an idea as to what other rock titles are selling right now in the US, the others in the Top 10 are Anna-Molly by Incubus; Through Glass by Stone Sons; The Diary of Jane by Breaking Benjamin; Love Like Winter by AFI; Face Down by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus; The Pot by Tool; Snow by The Red Hot Chili Peppers; Call Me When You’re Sober by Evanescence and Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol.

At the MYX hit chart of the top videos for the past week, Welcome to the Black Parade is ranked at No. 6. The list is as follows: Waltz by Hale; Carry My Love by Sarah Geronimo; Bitiw by Sponge Cola; Isang Bandila by Rivermaya; Take My Hand by Callalily; Welcome to the Black Parade by MCR; Kung Ayaw Mo Na Sa Akin by Sugarfree; DVDX by Sandwich; Pintura by Kjwan; Your Love by Erik Santos; Too Little Too Late by Jojo; Hurt by Christina Aguilera; Nothing in This World by Paris Hilton; Irreplaceable by Beyoncé; My Love by Justin Timberlake; Crazy Pipe by DJ Bomba featuring Mark Herras; Panalangin by Moonstar 88; Gitara by Parokya ni Edgar; Umaasa by 6Cyclemind and Borrowed Time by Cueshé.