Review Summary: New Jesery's punk-pop stars produce the album that they will never top and show why they were the last band of the genre that really mattered.
Three words divide fans of Rock music more than most others, 'My Chemical Romance', whether your part of the 'Mcr-my' or someone who detests the band more than Hitler, what can be agreed is they achieved something great and made no bigger statement of intent than 'three cheers....' .
The follow up to their debut and their first album on a major label, ’Three Cheers’ is one of the key moments in the development of modern rock since the turn of the century. The album allowed the New Jersey quintet to explode onto mainstream consciousness and laid the foreground for the release of the much maligned, (even by former hardcore fans of the band) ‘The Black Parade’.
The album opener is 'Helena' a song written about the Way brother’s grandma. The song features a galloping Verse rhythm that shows the band’s hardcore and metal roots and peaks with the arena filling chorus hook 'so long and good night...'. ’Helena is a mid tempo start to a record which features songs that are a short sharp shock to the system, clearly aimed at a teenage market looking for something to believe in. It is followed up by 'Give 'em hell, kid' and 'To The End', two jaunty punk tunes that ride through clichés and histrionics with a sense of subtle pomp and *** loads of self assurance that makes an audience believe, how ever hard that may be at times, that this band really MEAN it.
The album contains many of the bands strongest songs within its tracks and Gerrard Way and co. will never write a better single than I'm Not Okay(I Promise), its mix of angst, aggression and pure pop saw it get constant rotation on music channels world wide upon its release. The Queen Indebted guitar solo helps highlight, despite being no musical virtuosos, the band knows how to play to their strengths.
okay....... enough with the proper review, here's a completely biased emotional response to the record.
To me, this is one of the greatest pieces of art I have ever heard, you may ask why I've rated it how I have, I shall explain.
Musically this record does not venture into any new ground, lyrically this record doesn’t push boundaries or say anything that hasn’t been said before, the song writing isn’t perfect and the songs can be a bit samey and it doesn’t feature amazing levels of musicianship, however as a piece of art, a statement of intent, a battle cry it hits you harder than Shane Carwin pummelled Brock Lesnar. The band know their limitations and work within them, playing each song like they are about to implode, and I know its a cliché, but they really do sound like a band on the edge, its a tense, edgy verse meets hugely melodic chorus release structure that makes this record work, Howard Bensons production allows the band to sound raw but not as much rattle as they did on their first record, they truly were the last band of the genre to inspire hate and devotion in equal measure, the last band to become celebrities out side of the world of music. Despite gaining negative publicity and being linked with and accused of promoting suicide, their levels of self assurance and energy as a group inspired others. The band may seem to be ridiculous at times, but the record is about self expression and communicating something to an audience and they do this, too many bands now are afraid to have opinions, try to appeal to everyone, this isn't a record about appealing to everyone and isn’t preachy, it just is and does. When ’Three Cheers’ is playing, nothing else matters. If 'American Idiot' is Green Days attempt at London Calling, then this is MCR'S never mind the bollocks, spin the record, let the prejudices go and be engulfed by the energy.
Ratings
Impact : 5/5
Lyrics: 3.5/5
Musicianship: 3.5/5
Song Writing: 4/5
16/20
