My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade (LP)

Following in the footsteps of Green Day’s “American Idiot” released two years prior, MCR’s “Black Parade” was the band’s attempt at a rock opera. It was produced by Rob Cavallo, famed Green Day and rock producer. The story follows a character known as “the patient” who dies and reflects on his life in the afterlife à la a Christmas Story only more angsty and self-aware. The album is full of hits including “Teenagers,” “The Black Parade,” and “Famous Last Words.” The album would go on to be the band’s magnum opus. By taking a risk and going all-in on their nerdy theatrical aesthetic, the band would reach their full potential. 

As the story goes, MCR’s frontman Gerard Way was on his daily commute to work when he looked across the Hudson River from Hoboken to see a massive cloud of smoke billowing out of lower Manhattan. As Way was watching 9/11 happen, he decided to abandon his pursuit of becoming a comic book artist and start a band instead. Gerard began writing songs and after recording a few demos, Gerard’s brother Mikey Way dropped out of college to learn bass and join. Mikey was working at Barnes and Noble then and was smitten with a book titled: “Ecstasy: Three Stories of Chemical Romance.” And the official My Chemical Romance was born. The first song Gerward wrote came from the experience he had on 9/11 morning called “Skylines and Turnstiles.” On the fifth anniversary of 9/11, MCR would release the single “Welcome to the Black Parade,” which would become one of if not the most known song ever released by the band. And as the story goes, they marched on recruiting more broken, beaten and damned before their ultimate break-up. Now the band has returned, resurging old fans and adding more to the crushing march of the black parade each day.

Tracklist:

1. The End
2. Dead!
3. This Is How I Disappear
4. The Sharpest Lives
5. Welcome to the Black Parade
6. I Don't Love You
7. House of Wolves
8. Cancer
9. Mama
10. Sleep
11. Teenagers
12. Disenchanted
13. Famous Last Words
14. Untitled Track