Review Summary: Far from a stomachache...
After the sad split of rock legends My Chemical Romance, something in the world of music died. The world was full of crying emo teenagers, praying to Gerard Way, begging him to bring the band back together. Mr Way said a firm 'NO', and began his solo project. As for the rest of the band, nothing has been heard, aside from guitarist Frank Iero, who delved into numerous projects, and covered Extraordinary Girl for Kerrangs! American Idiot cover compilation. Then finally, it seemed he had settled down, and focused on one project, frnkiero and the cellabration. Many MCR fans grew excited, expecting a somewhat MCR-esque album. However, to many peoples surprise, what we got was far from MCR.
Frank's solo album is a solid effort. The songs are all individual, yet somehow it all works together as a cohesive album. It opens very strongly with '.All I Want Is Nothing.', a powerful opening number which pulls the listener in with very little mercy. Franks vocals, whilst far from soothing, are truly something to behold. His vocals are distorted to the max (Frank is better known for his screaming vocals, rather than Interpol-esque sounds) but this doesn't take away from how truly great his vocal work is.
The lead single from the album, '.weighted.', whilst a truly fantastic track, is far from the highlight of the album. '.joyriding.' is one of the most beautiful songs to come out of the modern music scene. Very reminiscent of early Deftones, the song deals with the theme of depression, but both through the eyes of the sufferer and their significant other, which is something a little different from what we're used to from this subject in music. '.she's the prettiest girl...' is also definitely a highlight of the album, a softer number, Franks vocal work whilst harsh, is somehow smooth, and glides over the intricate guitar work. The guitar work throughout the album, whilst nothing very special, it is still superb work. It's heavy, yet it contrasts well with the vocals and the drums. The drums, are more or less the lowpoint of the album. Theyre good, but thats all, they're not fantastic. They do their job, and keep the tempo going. However, it must be noted that Frank Iero is not known for his drumming.
All in all, fans of MCR will no doubt be stoked for this, but a fair warning, it's not similar to MCR in the slightest. A fantastic album, it will be very interesting to hear Franks next album. In the meantime, we have Gerard Way's Hesitant Alien to look forward to!
