Review Summary: Overall: The Black Parade is a rollercoaster from beginning to end. Starting with "The End." and concluding with "Blood" this is one of the best rollercoasters I've ever been on. 5/5
My Chemical Romance is putting on the halloween costumes for The Black Parade; which is not a bad thing. The Black Parade stories a man, named the Patient, who is dying from cancer and follows him through death to what he believes is hell. The black Parade is the creation of frontman Gerard Way describing his beliefs on death. He believes that death comes in the form of a strong belief or memory. The production of this album is amazing. The lyrics are awesome and Way's vocals only enhance the experience. Let's take a closer look:
1) The End.- This is the introduction to The Black Parade. In this song, the Patient is describing his current condition and how much agony he is in. 9/10
2) Dead!- As the title suggests, The Patient has evidently died from cancer. Sung from the perspective of the doctor operating on him, this energetic, upbeat song will defiantly have you singing along to a catchy chorus. 10/10
3) This Is How I Disappear- It's hard to place this song in the storyline of the album. The Patient could be talking about a lover or a family member but it’s hard to tell. Regardless, a great song. 8/10
4) The Sharpest Lives- This one is kind of like a reflection on the Patient's lifestyle. There are some dark lines in The Sharpest Lives. But it’s not forced and weirdly enough fits the message of the song. The Sharpest Lives are the deadliest lives to lead. 8/10
5) Welcome to the Black Parade- "Welcome" is the first single off the album and what a single it is. From the bone chilling opening piano note to the closing drum beat, is packed with wonder and emotion. The opening chorus describes the Patient and his father going to a marching band when he was young. This song is nothing short of epic with an amazing message embedded in it. Phenomenal. 10/10
6) I Don't Love You- I guess you could call this the "love song" of the album. It is considerably slower than the rest. But it works. This song displays that Way can sing and hold notes, without sounding cheesy Cool lyrics, great guitars. 8.5/10
7) House Of Wolves- This is a fun song. "House" is a part of the song in which the Patient descends to hell. Very upbeat a la Dead! You’ll be singing along to the chorus. 9/10
8) Cancer- Possibly the most gut wrenching, heartfelt, emotional song in existence, Way describes the unforgiving side effects of having cancer. The song is unforgiving as well. Way never lets up and the entire song is tear educing for anyone who has either known or lost anyone to cancer. 10/10
9) Mama- A brutal song about The Patient confronting his mother. The Patient describes death, going to hell, living in hell, and others in great detail. Unrelenting, but energetic. 8.5/10
10) Sleep- Another epic sounding song titled "Sleep" is next on the rollercoaster that is The Black Parade. Inspired by series of nightmares that Way had in writing the album, "Sleep" is hard and heavy. 9/10
11) Teenagers- This song makes me laugh. "Teenagers" has no relevance to The Black Parade. Way has said it himself. Such a catchy song with chorus lines like, "teenager scare the living sh*t out me." The lyrics are pretty accurate though. 9/10
12) Disenchanted- This is my favorite song on the album. This song suggests another reflection from the Patient's life. Striking ("Bring in the guillotine, we'll show em what we all mean") and haunting ("We watched our lives on the screen. I hated the ending myself, but it started with an alright scene") lyrics with a powerful sound only enhance the experience. 10/10
13) Famous Last Words- The heaviest song on the album. A great message for all ("I'm not afraid to keep on living. I'm not afraid to walk this world alone...") help the awesome vocals and guitars. The cool metaphors don't hurt, either. 10/10
14) Blood- This one also makes me laugh. "Blood" is the bonus track and has a carnivalesque sound to it. This song could have a few different meanings, but the one that stand s out is The Patient as "the celebrated man amongst the gurneys." A creepy chorus and carnival music make for a fun song, though. 9/10
