My Chemical Romance
Album Title: The Black Parade
Record Label: Warner Brothers
Review by Rocky Linderman
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My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade
It has become hard to live in America. In a few short years we, the American people, have had to learn how to live with the constant threat of terrorist attacks. We have had to endure the loss of brave men and women who laid down their lives in Iraq. And now more recently we are learning to live with an economy that is on the decline. Things are not looking good. Americans are living in fear. Its everywhere that you look. You can feel it in the very air that you breathe. That is why My Chemical Romance’s third album, “The Black Parade” is so important to our time.
No other album released this year has been able to capture the fear that is so prevalent in our country. Forged from the anguish of mental illness, the loss of loved ones, and the pain of knowing that all living things must die, “The Black Parade” captures the essence of what it means to be a human being. It isn’t just an album it’s a story. It’s a concept album that tells the story of a character, who is simply known as, “The Patient.”
When the story first begins The Patient is informed that he is going to die. The album then examines the things that The Patient has endured throughout his lifetime. The first track on the album, “The End,” is an epic beginning to a stunning record that isn’t afraid to face life head on. Every song is an exploration of a particular fear. The guys of My Chemical Romance take on everything. Whether its the fear of dying, the fear of having to live without someone, the fear of addiction and the enslavement it brings, the fear of living up to your parent’s expectations, the fear of having someone walk out on you, the fear of not being accepted, the fear of a terminal illness and the pain it will cause, or the fear of eternal damnation each is represented on the album.
My Chemical Romance takes every one of these possible terrifying situations and dives right in. It is not an easy record to listen to. My Chemical Romance do not pull their punches, but that is what makes the album so great. They are able to tell their listeners that this is how life is, it is a mortifying, paralyzing experience and it will rip you apart if you let it. But that is the key, if you let it.
Every one of the songs leads up to a grand climax. The message that My Chemical Romance is trying to impart to their listeners is finally made clear, living life is a scary thing and all of these horrible things will happen to you, but you can’t give up. You can’t be afraid to live your life. The final song on “The Black Parade,” entitled, “Famous Last Words,” says it best, “I am not afraid to keep on living. I am not afraid to walk this world alone.”
“The Black Parade” is a truly marvelous album that is unlike anything our generation has seen before. The only record that it is even comparable to is Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” and just like Pink Floyd was able to capture the fears of their generation, My Chemical Romance has exposed the fears of a new generation. “The Black Parade” is a towering beacon of hope in a world that desperately needs some good news. You owe it to yourself to listen to this album.
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