The Black Parade is Dead : My Chemical Romance : Review : Rolling Stone

My Chemical Romance's The Black Parade was a rich concept album full of complicated arrangements and string-section accents — material that doesn¹t translate easily on the band's new live set. Recorded last year during tour stops in Mexico City and New Jersey, The Black Parade is Dead! finds My Chemical Romance stripping their emo epic down to its basic elements, which robs the music of some depth. Frontman Gerard Way's voice sounds a little fatigued, and many of the songs are undone by the vanilla mix, especially on "Welcome To the Black Parade," where Way comes off as way too shouty. The accompanying DVD shows off the band's sharp visual style and Way's manic stage presence, highlighted by his goth-Jagger strut. But for all of the theatrical flourishes, the songs remain slightly lost in translation, as though the band isn't yet comfortable with its recent material during his performance of "Cancer," Way almost sounds apologetic. The band's hard-hitting rendition of 'Dead!' complete with a jagged Van Halen-esque guitar solo and some stadium-sized "Na na na"'s, makes for a thrilling highlight, but the album's most invigorating sounds are still the screams of elation from the die-hard crowd.

KYLE ANDERSON

(Posted: Jul 1, 2008)

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Review 1 of 6

1of 5 Stars

Great. The black parade is dead. Now can we get to work on the rest of this band?

This is why the rest of the world hates America... this band and Nickelback... and all-you-can-eat-buffets.

Jul 29, 2008 11:56:26

Review 2 of 6

5of 5 Stars

I have got to see them twice live and after every concert I see them in I always want to watch them again. This DVD/CD gives me that ability. For anyone who loves to comment on these things because they hate them (hint: first review) FUCK YOU! They are amazing: check their sales.

Jul 21, 2008 12:36:38

Review 3 of 6

1of 5 Stars

this album sucks, this band sucks, and emo's suck. i want my money back, and i want this band to go away.....please. i dont know how people like john lennon have to pass...and god leaves us my chemical gaymance? give it up

Jul 18, 2008 06:02:22

Review 4 of 6

5of 5 Stars

This cd is great. Anyone who has seen them live will appreciate this. The person who reviewed this obviously doesn't understand MCR or he would not have called The Black Parade an "emo" record.

Jul 10, 2008 13:56:05

Review 5 of 6

4of 5 Stars

That was a pretty bad review. It was more of a review of the show rather than the album. If you do not like My Chemical Romance live, you obviously will not like this. However, the production quality and the amount of energy the band puts into their performance makes this a good buy for any fan of the band.

Jul 4, 2008 04:30:13

Review 6 of 6

4of 5 Stars

This is bullshit. You certainly do not know how to appreciate a very nice live album. The sound quality is incredible and the production during the live shows is simply amazing. Obviously, this ain't no studio album, so a lot of elements get lost, but that doesn't mean that they do not offer awesome renditions of the album's songs. They sound sharp and the crowd goes crazy. You suck at rating live albums.

Jul 3, 2008 18:36:28

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