Album Reviews

My Chemical Romance: May Death Never Stop You

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Just over a year ago My Chemical Romance left us with the news that the band was splitting.The band had been together for 12 years and one year after the break up the greatest hits album has come out.  May Death Never Stop You is a variety of songs starting with their first album
continuing all the way until their last.

The album starts up with Fake Your Death, an anthem type feeling song with clear lyrics mixed with a strong and powerful instrumental march.  Fake Your Death was an unreleased song and one of the last songs the band recorded together in the studio.Then everyone puts on their eyeliner.  We’re moved to the year 2002.  I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love was My Chemical Romance’s first studio album with Eyeball Records .  This album is compact with hard instruments and raw lyrics.    Honey, This Mirror Isn’t Big Enough For the Two of Us has a strong  bassline and was definitely my favorite song on this album growing up.  Followed by Vampires Will Never Hurt You,  this song is almost split into different sections with multiple melodies and rhythms.

As soon as Helena starts I instantly think of the ballerina dancer from the music video.  Everyone had to buy a pair of black ballet shoes, right!?  Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge was put out in 2004 and went platinum in just a year.  They also were signed to a new label, Reprise Records,
in 2003.  The next song is when My Chemical Romance started to get theatrical in their music.

You Know What They Do To Guys Like Us in Prison was actually not a single off the album so it’s interesting that they chose the song for the greatest hits album. Not arguing because I personally think it’s the best song on the album.  Next is I’m Not Okay followed by The Ghost of
You to slow things down.

That first G note. Everyone knows that they’re listening to Welcome to the Black Parade as soon as they hear that.  The Black Parade came out in 2006 and is My Chemical Romance’s rock opera. Welcome to the Black Parade starts as the transition into another world. A march in the
beginning but turned into a My Chemical Romance mess of rock at the end.  The piano intro of Cancer changes your mood.  Very moving, clean, and reflective.  When I saw My Chemical Romance live in 2011 they ended their show with this song, which I thought was an interesting
choice.  With a faint sound of explosions we head into the theatrical Mama with Liza Minelli, and ending with a beautiful orchestral melody. Teenagers was a punk anthem getting you ready to riot, and ending the The Black Parade is Famous Last Words telling everyone that we’ll carry on.

Next we step out of a sort of emo sound and move to rock’n’roll with Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys.  Released in 2010, the album was based around the “Killjoys” in a post apocalyptic type setting.  Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na you get the point) gets everyone pumped and excited to see My Chemical Romance back on the scene with a new album.

Followed by Planetary (GO!) and The Kids From Yesterday as a final look at where the band has come throughout the years.At the end of May Death Never Stop You is a couple of demo tracks from the band’s first album. Skylines and Turnstiles, Knives/Sorrow, and Cubicles all sound like they could have been recorded in a garage.  I like that because it’s very early and real to the sound.

My favorite part about Greatest Hits albums are that you can listen to how the band grew up musically.  Listening to each musician become more skilled at their role in the band, hearing the songs become more mature.   Whether you pick up the album because you’ve  never had a
chance to get into them and are looking for some great songs, or you’re a long time fan who picks it up for the demo tracks, it’s a great album and very fun to listen to.