Okay, this is review number one for me, so I wanted to write it on a favorite album. I picked this. Some people hate this band calling it average pop-punk at best, but this is different. My friend introduced me to “The Ghost of You,” and I thought it was an average song with strong vocals, weak instrumental and a decently catchy chorus. Man, I wish he told be about a song like “Thank You for the Venom” because it is better and I would’ve bought the album sooner. Although I like “the Ghost of You” now, I had to give it time for it to grow on me. It didn’t take long for the rest of the album though.
My Chemical Romance is:
Vocals: Gerard Way
Guitar: Ray Toro
Guitar:Frank Iero
Bass: Mikey Way
Drums: Bob Bryar
1. Helena- This is one of the singles off the album. The song starts with soft singing and soft guitar playing. Then the drums start, softly, and then it just starts rocking. Strong power chords, powerful singing by Gerard and pretty good backing vocals make you want more. Then, the chorus starts and the song slows down completely. It’s catchy as hell and you’ll find yourself singing it over and over. The bridge comes in afterwards and it gets soft, with...distorted vocals? I dunno what they did with the vocals but it sounds mysterious. Great song to start the album
4/5
2. Give’em Hell Kid- the bass starts this song, and the song starts right away. The fast first verse passes quickly and leads into the chorus. It’s a catchy chorus and leads quickly into the second verse, which is even shorter than the first one. This is a very fast-paced, catchy song, I like it a lot.
3.5/5
3. To the End- Distorted guitar starts it off with Gerard’s voice singing some catchy lyrics (He calls the mansion not a house but a tomb/ he’s always choking from the stench and the fume, the wedding party all collapse in the room/ so send my resignation to the bride and the groom). Then the verse kicks in, then the chorus. Now, the chorus is just some phrases, but they hold the last word, showing off their singing skills (Gerard, Frank or Ray, I dunno who’s backing up) especially with the “end” at the end of the lines. There are more catchy lyrics in the second verse, then a little mini solo that only lasts for a few seconds. Another catchy song here
4.5/5
4. You Know What They Do to Guys like Us in Prison- Damn what a long title...and they don’t even talk about it in the song. Oh well, all’s good. Another soft intro, it leads into a mildly soft verse with a guitar riff. Now for the chorus, it’s strong...very strong, catchy, especially “too much, too late, and just not enough of this/ a pain in my heart for your dying wish.” It’s sung faster than the rest of the chorus and sounds fantastic. There’s a kick ass solo here, with effects galore and fast fingering by Ray. One of my favorites
5/5
5. I’m Not Okay- starts off with octave chords; it sounds major (like in music, minor, major). The palm muted power chords control the verse and lead into the chorus. Gerard only sings “I’m Not Okay” over and over, but it doesn’t really get boring since he sings it well, and in a catchy kinda way. There’s also a solo, also decently catchy, not too special. It’s an OK song.
3.5/5
6. The Ghost of You- Now in my intro, I said I didn’t like this song, but that’s only cause I only listened to it a couple of times. I never took this CD out of my CD player for about a month, so I listened to this, which gave it plenty of time to grow on me. I’m happy it did. The vocals are exceptional here (at the end of the woooooorrlddd in the chorus) and it is too in some other spots. The guitars are kinda weak, but for some reason I always find myself absorbed into the drumming.
4/5
7. The Jetset Life is Gonna Kill you- I’ve heard people say that this is kind of like the more rock version of Ghost of You. I kinda understand that, cause the music is weak and the vocals are what defines the song. The end of Ghost of You leads into the intro of this. And like Ghost of You, the vocals are strong and that’s pretty much what makes the song good. The high point of the song is at the end of the bridge where he bellows out “slip into the treasure, we have spun this chamber dry,” holding the dry for a full five seconds with an exceptional voice.
3.5/5
8. Interlude- Filler, nothing special here. However, it is very minor; it has soft singing and guitar playing and ends on a really minor chord.
No Rating
9. Thank You for the Venom- THIS is what I’m talking about. The guitar intro is amazing, very fast and catchy, it leads into the song. There are fantastic backing vocals in this song, with the “on and on and on” in the verses. The chorus is, again, catchy and will definitely get stuck in your head. There’s a good solo in this song too by the way. One of my favorites, if not my favorite on the album.
5/5
10. Hang’em High- the beginning sounds like a mid-western movie out of Texas with its whistling and that, I guess you can say familiar guitar riff. I thought it was a little cheesy at first but the song just starts rocking out with Gerard screaming and powerful chords. The chorus is a little slower, but the singing makes it worthwhile. It’s catchy again and there are some more strong vocals by Gerard.
4/5
11. It’s Not a Fashion Statement, it’s a Deathwish- I dunno if there’s a ‘f*cking’ between the ‘a’ and ‘deathwish,’ and I honestly can’t care less. The song starts off with a simple but very good guitar chords, easy to play and pleasant to listen to. The verse and chorus are catchy again, with some more strong singing. Yet another good song, another one of my favorites.
4.5/5
12. Cemetery Drive- Now, this is where my love for drums kicks in. The song starts with a drumroll and it continues through the verse. It’s when I listen to songs like this I wish I picked drums instead of guitar; I had an epic battle with that decision. Anyway, Gerard sings softly in the verses, but yells “I miss you” in the chorus, catchy as hell. This is a great song to sing along to, you can show off your singing talent if you want.
4/5
13. I Never Told You What I do for a Living- The final song on this album, and a good choice, I might add. It starts with distorted guitar and into a kinda fast paced verse. The chorus again shows the singing of Gerard is great (“only you, so far,” he sings this well). He screams “I try” which kinda shocked me a little cause he kept saying it for about ten seconds. For some reason, it sounds like something is ending in the song. The high point is the yell “I try,” holding the last party of try for some time, once again showing his great singing.
4/5
Best Songs/ Recommended Downloads
You know what they do to Guys like Us in Prison
Thank you for the Venom
It’s Not a Fashion Statement, it’s a [F*cking] Deathwish
Overall Album Rating: 4/5
This caps off my first review. I adore this album; I listen to it when I’m bored or pretty much whenever I want. This CD never gets old for me and I dunno when it will. Lots of catchy songs, nearly all of them, which is why MCR is popular. Please comment, I don’t care what it is; I don’t care if you say this is a sh*t review, just tell me why so I can get better.
