The boys of MCR claim this disc to be the "Get over it" disc that follows up the disc that refused to get over it. Death themes full of angst were rampant on Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge. The idea behind the new release is the moving on phase. Can the gentleman of MCR pull that off?
One of the first things listeners will notice is that this is a very different sound from the previous releases. The Black Parade takes on a lot of theatrical tones. The lead single and title track, Welcome To The Black Parade, in particular, takes on a sound very reminiscent of Queen. A lot of bands have been working on sounds like that over the past year or so. Few bands have managed to pull it off. My Chemical Romance is one of the bands who pulls off the theatrics to perfection.
Tracks like Teenagers and Dead! show off the theatrical sound quite well too. Lyrically, the songs do show off the "get over it" mentality. There is certainly still some angst in the lyrics, but it's a disc far less focused on wallowing in the pain than the previous offerings. And vocally, lead singer Gerard Way certainly seems to be one of the better emo dudes around the scene today. He seems to know his limits, but continues to push those limits further for better results.
Disenchanted is one of the few toned down tracks on the disc, but it is also one of the best offerings. The music takes a back seat on this one to the lyrics and vocals, and Way does not diasppoint. Vocals and lyrics mix together wonderfully, and the song stands out among the rest of the disc because of it's simplicity.
The entire disc is full of surprisingly good songs. Sleep, Mama and Famous Last Words are just three of the tracks that prove this. And really, these three were just chosen at random to be the examples, because there is no track on this disc that can be seen as a letdown. This is a completely different My Chemical Romance, and it works incredibly well.
Overall, The Black Parade is miles ahead of any previous MCR release. The lyrics are truly growing, and the vocals are definitely showing off some new strengths. And, of course, the music is what manages to make this disc a truly great offering. Are the boys of My Chemical Romance the Queen of this generation? That answer is yet to be seen, but, if they continue on this path, the answer will have to be an emphatic YES.