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As I searched for harder-edged music to take the place of the rap- and bubblegum-infested pop/rock radio stations, I turned to the Rock Show on MTV2. One night I happened to catch the video for "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)", and it was love at first sight. After "Helena" came out, I had to have the album, and countless spins later I am still enjoying the dark and cinematic landscape of Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge.
A sort of loose concept album, Three Cheers starts of with "Helena", an homage to lead singer Gerard and bassist Mikey Way's recently deceased grandmother. Not quite the loving ode one would expect, she is sent of with a tearful and angry "So long and goodnight!" In "Give 'Em Hell, Kid", the punches start coming, as MCR's propensity for deathly imagery is enhanced by the story of jilted lover on a bender in New Orleans. This song sounds appropriately frazzled and messy, as fast paced guitars back a screaming catharsis of drunken honesty. Perhaps the cause of this meltdown is revealed in "To the End", with lyrics like "If you marry me, would you bury me?" and "Share the vows at the wake" conjuring the image of a broken man left at the alter. His intentions for his former fiance are clear, as he warns her to "Say goodbye".
"You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison" is the messy aftermath of the groom's revenge, as the distubingly controlled and melodic intro crescendos into a screaming, distorted power chord frenzy as the album's antihero is led away to prison for his crimes. One of my favorite tracks, the icy opening devolves into an angry scream-fest by the end of the song, conveying the character's spiral into insanity. Suddenly, lead single "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" blasts in with a catchy riff and more cohesive, even clean arrangement. The song exemplifies MCR's crossover appeal, but still manages to rock pretty hard and further the story of the antihero agonizing over his situation and acknowledging his loss of sanity.
"Ghost of You" is probably the slowest of the actual songs on the record, but the chorus still blasts distorted guitars and screaming vocals. This song begins the second half of the album, which is essentially a lengthy introspection and reflection on what brought the bloodstained lovers on the cover of the album to this fate. "Ghost of You" is longing for better days, tainted by later betrayals, while "The Jetset Life is Gonna Kill You" chronicles the beginning of the end of the relationship. More controlled vocals and deceptively melodic instrumentation serves as the cover for a relationship in trouble, brushed aside by the anger of the chorus and the inevitable nature of the end of the song - "Pull the plug, but I'd like to learn your name...awww, sugar".
"Interlude" is not so much a song on it's own as an essentially instrumental introduction to "Thank You For the Venom". In "Venom", the relationship continues to crumble, aided by vast amounts of alcohol and drugs and the need for impossible perfection. In "Hang 'Em High", the antihero makes his decision, as unhinged vocals plan out a dream scenario for the murder of his lover. A wild west intro is followed by a pick slide into railing power chords and a deranged scream - an effective prologue to a song filled with OK Corral imagery and premeditation.
If "Hang 'Em High" is the dream, "It's Not a Fashion Statement, It's a Deathwish" is the plan laid out in blood. Angry reflections on perceived attacks are interspersed with macabre insinuations as to the victim's fate - "I will avenge my ghost with every breath I take...you're running out of places to hide from me!" "Cemetary Drive" is the night before, drinking alone in the cemetary where both lovers are headed. The song is subdued, like the calm before the storm, as the pervasive power chord pounding is toned down with fast but relatively quiet riffs. The chorus, however, reveals the tension anger and mania still simmering below the surface.
Finally, in "I Never Told You What I Do For a Living", the deed is done. One can almost picture the distraught, manic antihero towering over his cowering lover, a gun in his hand as she lies in the corner. The song is appropriately manic, an all-out unleashing of emotions that have been brewing for the entire album. While the story is not cut and dry, the threads are certainly there to hold the story together from beginning to end, and in impressive fashion. That said, any of the tracks (except for "Interlude") could easily stand on it's own as an excellent post-hardcore song, and some could be considered crossover masterpieces. To think that just three years ago Gerard Way was drawing in his mother's basement, and now he's screaming Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge.
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Good review, but this album is nowhere near 5 stars.
I don't know if any of the reviews have mentioned this, but the band recorded the tracks before Gerard even revealed the lyrics to them. Risky, eh?This Message Edited On 07.11.05
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Thanks. I've found that it's often "Love it or hate it" with this album, so I understand that you don't like it. That said, I've found that Three Cheers is one of the most cathartic albums to listen to - it's best if you've had a tough day and you just want to scream along.
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this is bubblegum pop of the emo/half assed punk generation. That anyone would give this 5 stars is utterly ridiculous. I've heard the album. The instrument work is bland as hell, the singer is boring and cliched, and on a relatively unrelated note, their live show does not make up for any of this.
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not to mention that despite their 'dark, deathly' imagery in their songs, they're really upbeat and happy fellows in interviews and such. So basically, they're 90% likely to be completely full of crap, looking to gain the respect of fat 15 year old suicidal goth chicks.
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Sucky band. Just a poser!
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
[Quote=something_vague]Good review, but this album is nowhere near 5 stars. [/Quote]
I'm with sv on this one. 5/5 means a classic, that will be listened to maybe even in 10, 15 or 20 years. Though MCR is not bad, I won'd predict that for them.
Can't you consider editing your score to a 4/5? It would be more just to the actual deserved score, and would smell less of fanboyism. Which would save you a lot of bad comments... 
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
I really can't stand My Chemical Romance, especially the singer. I don't get how this can be 5 stars. A 3.5 maybe. I suppose it is a love it or hate it album. I hate it.
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
ive only heard 5 of the songs from this album. two of which i liked and the other three.......ehh.........not so much. to me MCR is ok to hear on the radio or see on mtv, but never good enough to spend money on. my sister said she saw them at the Warped Tour and they were terrible.
BTW they have probably the worst bassist in mainstream music today.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
So their bassist isn't that good - both of their guitarists are awesome, and Gerard is one of the best vocalists IMO.
As for their live shows, I've already had that argument in the My Chemical Romance Thread in the forums.This Message Edited On 08.04.05
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Half of the songs are forgettable on the album.
Some of them are really good and display some talent for a typical, media-friendly pop-punk band.
I listened to it for about maybe a week and then put it down.This Message Edited On 08.08.05
| | | Album Rating: 2.0
These songs are only good for a few listens. I still dig "Helena" because I've only heard it twice. I should save up that third and final listen. The best part is the random secondary dominant chord in the chorus. Fairly tasteful.
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Both guitars are awesome? Ugh. I think "boring, unoriginal, and technically uninspiring" would do as a much better set of descriptors.
The lyrics are hypocritical gay crap, and the singer is ... okay, but he's terrible live, which means he's NOT THAT GOOD, but 30 takes later, he can actually hit a few notes. I've seen them live twice. I didn't think it'd be possible for me to lose any more respect after the first time, but then came Warped Tour. I haven't listened to them enough to notice the excessive brutalness of their bassist, but I'll definitely believe it, cause the rest of them are certainly boring, forgettable, awful musicians.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
But how do you really feel?
I agreed that Mikey isn't the best bassist, but you can't knock the guitars that much - there are much worse guitarists out there (Billie Joe Armstrong, for one) than Ray Toro or Frank Iero. Ray's solos may not be classic, but they are still impressive, and Frank's rhythm is manic and energetic - the hallmark of this band.
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Anyone can play My Chemical Romance songs.
| | | Album Rating: 2.0
Even the guys from "Murderball."
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I could shit out an MCR song in 5 minutes. The guys aren't totally talentless, but I put the emphasis on "boring and forgettable", because they are. And you can't give them any credit either, because in terms of technical guitar skills, 98% of the bands out there on half-decent labels can match them or do better.
| | | Album Rating: 2.0
I think MCR are decent songwriters, which doesn't require much technical proficiency.
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Good review. Some say it's not worth 5 stars, some say it's close, etc etc etc. All opinions. There is no such thing as good or bad music. It's opinion. So if you like it, give it five stars man!
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
i loved this album when i bought it but then everyone liked it now i just like it
does anone kno if their other album it louder or better than this one?
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Their first album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love is darker than Three Cheers, and it's considerably less produced. The guitar work isn't quite as good, but it's definitely a more underground sound than Three Cheers. Check it out, it's pretty good, especially the first half.
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