My Chemical Romance
From Your Subculture Soundtrack, the music encyclopedia
| My Chemical Romance | |
|---|---|
 My Chemical Romance
| |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | MCR |
| Origin | Jersey City, New Jersey, USA |
| Genre(s) | Alternative Rock |
| Years active | 2001-present |
| Label(s) | Eyeball Records Reprise Records/Warner Records |
| Influences | Queen, Iron Maiden, The Smiths |
| Website | mychemicalromance.com |
| Members | |
| Gerard Way Ray Toro Frank Iero Bob Bryar Mikey Way (on hiatus) | |
| Former members | |
| Matt Pelissier | |
My Chemical Romance (or MCR) is an American rock band formed in 2001. The band were signed to Eyeball Records, shortly after formed, with which they released their debut album I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love in 2002. Current members of the band are Gerard Way, Mikey Way, Frank Iero, Ray Toro and Bob Bryar.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] Early career (2001,2002)
Based in New Jersey, My Chemical Romance is an alternative pop/rock and punk-pop band that has been compared to Thursday and, to a lesser degree, Cursive. Their name was inspired by author Irvine Welsh (of Trainspotting fame), and while many of their songs are loud, fast, hyper, and aggressive, My Chemical Romance's work also tends to be melodic and pop-minded. My Chemical Romance got started in the early 2000s, when lead singer Gerard Way and drummer Matt Pelissier, who had been friends since high school, decided to try writing some songs together. The first song that Way and Pelissier came up with was called "Skylines and Turnstiles" (a post-9/11 song written after Way witnessed the Twin Towers fall while working at his animation job in New York City). Gerrard Way and Pelissier both felt good about the song, and Way asked guitarist Ray Toro if he would be interested in working with them. My Chemical Romance's five-man lineup was complete when Way, Pelissier, and Toro joined forces with bassist Mikey Way (Gerard Way's brother) and guitarist Frank Iero. With that lineup in place, the band started playing all around the Northeast Corridor and made plans to begin working on its first album.
In 2002, Eyeball Records (the New York-based independent label that Thursday had recorded for) released My Chemical Romance's debut album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love. The album was often compared to Thursday — a comparison that, for various reasons, was inevitable and unavoidable. Both bands were from New Jersey, both had recorded for Eyeball, and both combined punk-pop's musical aggression with introspective, confessional lyrics. Plus, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love was produced by Geoff Rickly, Thursday's lead singer — add all of those things up, and there was no way that My Chemical Romance was going to escape Thursday comparisons. Lyrically, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love is as dark as it is introspective and cathartic; Way has been quoted as saying that the band's lyrics were a great way for him to deal with the problems he had been going through (which included severe depression and a serious illness in his family). The 2002 release included Way and Pelissier's first song, "Skylines and Turnstiles," and many of the album's other song titles were equally intriguing, including "Honey, This Mirror Isn't Big Enough for the Two of Us," "Drowning Lessons," "Headfirst for Halos," "Our Lady of Sorrows," and "Vampires Will Never Hurt You."
[edit] Mainstream Popularity (2003-2006)
In 2003, My Chemical Romance signed with Reprise/Warner Bros. and released Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge one year later. Proving to be widely popular, the album boasted several successful singles on commercial radio and MTV, including "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)," "Helena," and "The Ghost of You." Amid their growing popularity, Pelissier departed from the band in mid-2004, and he was replaced on drums by Bob Bryar.
[edit] The Black Parade (2006-current)
On Spetember 2, 2006, My Chemical Romance posted "Welcome to the Black Parade" on thier MySpace page. Following this, the song was aired on September 11, 2006. "Welcome to the Black Parade" reached number one on October 15th, 2006, in the United Kingdom. This was their first number one The Black Parade album was released on October 23rd in the UK and October 24th in the United States. The Black Parade World Tour started on February 22, 2007, with Rise Against, Thursday and Muse as support acts.
[edit] Influences
My Chemical Romance cite their influenes as Thursday, The Smiths, Morrissey, The Cure, and The Misfits as influences. And Way has even cited British heavy metal icons Iron Maiden as an influence.
[edit] RIYL
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- 2002: I Brought You My Bullets
- 2004: Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge
- 2006: Life on the Murder Scene (live album)
- 2006: The Black Parade
