LOOK ALIVE, SUNSHINE...

"The future is bulletproof, the aftermath is secondary! It's time to do it now, and do it loud: Killjoys, MAKE SOME NOISE!"

Welcome to my MCR shrine heh! This is a huge WIP so be patient. And also excuse my mix of Revenge and Danger Days theming I wanted the red and black color pallette but Danger Days is my fave album so.

WHAT THE HELL IS MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE?

My Chemical Romance is an American rock/emo band formed in New Jersey in 2001. The band consists of 4 members: Gerard Way, Mikey Way, Frank Iero, and Ray Toro (plus a drummer that has changed through the years, and some extra musicians when touring!).

The band formed in the aftermath of 9/11, leading into the recording and release of their first album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love. They have since released 3 more studio albums, as well as 2 live albums, 3 (ish) EPs, and a Best Of compilation album... no small feat!

My Chemical Romance announced their breakup in 2013 in a post to their blog, saying "like all great things, it has come time for it to end." ... yeah that didn't last. LMFAO. In 2019, the band reunited for their Reunion tour, eventually evolving into the Swarm tour (paired with a new single, The Foundations of Decay) after the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to postpone shows. They've since continued touring, currently touring the US for their Long Live The Black Parade tour as of writing this in July 2025.

THE MEMBERS!

Gerard Way is the founding member and vocalist of My Chemical Romance. He is usually viewed as the most iconic member and face of the band, usually the most theatrical on stage and in promotion. They have also written comics, including The Umbrella Academy, Doom Patrol, and a comic based on the band's album Danger Days, The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys. Gerard has also worked on solo music projects and collaborations, notably their solo album Hesitant Alien.

Mikey Way is the bassist of My Chemical Romance, as well as being Gerard Way's younger brother. Mikey is actually the one who named the band, seeing a book named "Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance" and deciding it would make a sick band name. He has also worked on projects outside the band, including the comics Collapser and Christmas 365, as well as the band Electric Century with David Debiak.

Frank Iero is the guitarist of My Chemical Romance, as well as often providing backing vocals for the band. He was only featured in 2 songs on Bullets, but became a staple of the band going forward. He's also been a part of many other bands, including Pencey Prep, Leathermouth, and frnkiero and the cellabration, as well as numerous other bands and projects. This isn't super important but I just want to mention his iconic, beautiful guitar Pansy... I love her.

Ray Toro is the lead guitarist of My Chemical Romance, as well as sometimes providing backing vocals for the band. He is also my favorite member! Ray is an incredibly talented guitarist, writing many of the melody guitar lines for the band's music. He has worked on few solo projects compared to the rest of the band, but has released a few singles he produced and mixed entirely by himself, and occasionally collaborates with the other band members on their projects.

THE ALBUMS!

For simplicity, I've chosen to exclude live and compilation albums, but here is a list anyway, if you're interested!: Life on the Murder Scene (2006), The Black Parade Is Dead! (2008), May Death Never Stop You (2014), The Black Parade/Living With Ghosts (2016).

Released July 23rd, 2002. 40:57 runtime.

The band's first album, Bullets, is My Chemical Romance at it's most raw, both literally and metaphorically. The album was created in the wake of 9/11, especially evident in the first song written for the album, Skylines and Turnstiles. The album was recorded and produced over 7 days, giving it a less polished, visceral energy that stands out among the other albums.

Released June 8th, 2004. 39:36 runtime.

The band's second album, Revenge, follows the story of "a man, a woman, and the corpses of a thousand evil men." The Demolition Man, mourning and unable to accept her death, makes a deal with the Devil to kill 1000 evil men in return for her life-- only to find the last life to take is his own. The album is notably more polished than Bullets, but still has a raw edge to it. This edge is sort of axed in the 2025 Deluxe rerelease, but the extra clarity in the remasters is much appreciated as well, and makes for a whole new listening experience (in my humble opinion!).

Released October 23rd, 2006. 51:53 runtime.

The band's third and most popular album, The Black Parade, follows a cancer patient (simply "The Patient"), and his journey through the afterlife. This album has been expanded on in the recent Long Live The Black Parade tour, but that's a story for later. The album skyrocketed the band's popularity, with the songs Welcome to the Black Parade and Teenagers easily becoming their most popular and iconic. The album has a theatrical feel, much larger than anything My Chem had made before.

Released November 22nd, 2010. 54:05 runtime.

My personal favorite album! The band's fourth album, Danger Days, follows the titular Fabulous Killjoys, a vigilante group defying the facist government run by Better Living Industries (BL/Ind). The album takes more of a pop/pop-punk influence, which is very divisive among the fanbase (I personally love it, heheh). This album also had two tie-in comics building on the lore, TTLOTFK: California, and TTLOTFK: National Anthem.

A short EP included on a CD in the Danger Days deluxe edition. Very rare to find! This EP could only be listened to either on an official CD or on low-quality YouTube rips, but in 2023, they were released officially in high quality on streaming services. (Side story, they had been dropped on streaming the night before I saw them in Raleigh. I was SO CONVINCED they'd play something from it but alas, they did not. Unfortunate.)

WHY I LOVE MCR!

I first discovered My Chemical Romance in 2019, I believe post-reunion, but I'm not entirely sure now. I definitely knew Of them but I hadn't listened to them for the first time until I listened to Danger Days on impulse after seeing a Tumblr mutual rave about it. Boom. Life changed forever.

I was absolutely transfixed. It was like nothing I'd ever heard before, and I couldn't get enough. I remember listening to it over and over and over, learning all about the characters, buying the comics, buying the classic Killjoy spider shirt, buying the picture vinyl... It became a full on obsession.

From there I branched out into some of their other music, mostly just the most popular stuff, and loving it even more with every second. My Chem spoke to me in a way nothing ever had before, and easily became my favorite band and a special interest. Danger Days, in particular, never left my conscience. Summertime is still my favorite song of all time, and the album as a whole is still my favorite 6 years later.