My Chemical Romance, and odd name for an odd bunch. Getting bigger by the day, My Chemical Romance have come a long way and are only going to get bigger.

On October 31st, 2006, their latest album The Black Parade came marching into stores to anticipating teenagers with a love for emo-punk rock. Though the band refuses to be classified as “emo,” the band’s roots chart back to rather dark times. The heart of My Chemical Romance rests in their lead singer/ songwriter Gerard Way, whom decided to abandon his job as an animator to “do something with his life.” in the wake of 9/11. Within a few months the band was formed, Gerard Way as frontman, and vocals, Mickey Way (Gerard’s younger brother) as bassist, Frank Iero and Ray Toro on guitar, along with drummer Matt Pelissier, who was soon replaced by Bob Bryar in 2003.

Not too long after their formation, they quickly rose to prominence among the emo and neo-punk bands that cluttered the east coast. Originating from Belleville, New Jersey, the band had no lack of an audience, clubs welcomed them with open arms. The name My Chemical Romance originates from the title of an Irvin Welsh novel; Three Tales of a Chemical Romance. They thought it would make a new name if they added “my” to the beginning of Chemical Romance.

The band has currently released five CD’s, which is relatively 65 songs; all of which were written and performed by Gerard Way. In 2003 the band changed their label to Reprise Records and the following year released the aggressively slick Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge.Much of their success is do to Rob Cavllo, their producer who had previously worked for Green Day for a number of years. The new CD had adopted a more meaninful and comprehensible lyrics, along with an interesting plot of two lovers running from a band of vampires. The album quickly went platinum.

It is at this time, that I, along with a few million teenagers discovered the band. I was online watching music videos, when their music video “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” popped up in an advertisement. The catchy lyrics, edginess, and humor used made me automatically like the band. I had never seen anything like them before . I wanted to show my dad my latest discovery. He was rather indifferent and didn’t care too much for the; he soon grew to dislike their music after my constant inflicting him upon it. He found it “unoriginal and busy.” I don’t care if my parents find my music cool or not, they raised me to like their music, and I believe they’re pleased to see me discover my own tastes.

In 2006, The Black Parade was released and I was among the first to get it. I had no idea what it was about, I jut knew I would be pleased with anything they released. All I knew at the time, was that the band had doned a new darker look, and that it would be a theme album. Unbenownst to me, the album tells the tale of “The Patient,” a young man dying of cancer in a hospital bed who flashes back on his undistinguished life upon the moment of his death. The band delved themselves so deep in the project, that they viewed themselves no longer as My Chemical Romance, but The Black Parade. The album is nearly identical to Pink Floyd’s The Wall; both Pink and the Patient run through a litany of childhood and adult traumas; absent fathers loom

song sequences of the patients imagination and reality