If there was anything that My Chemical Romance’s goth tendencies and tongue-in-cheek theatrics naturally lends themselves to, it would have to be pretty darn bizarre.
So, how about making a concept album about a protagonist on his deathbed, featuring overdramatic Queen rip-offs and a cameo by Liza Minelli?
Lo and behold, The Black Parade is just that, with MCR shedding the emo tag they’ve grown out of anyway, and donning black marching band suits as they go about proving it’s possible to perform a Tim Burton-esque musical without a stage.
There’s the mesmerising intro of ‘The End’, the all-cast showtune that is ‘Mama’ (the track on which Ms. Minelli guests), as well as a ‘70s glam rock singalong moment in the form of ‘Teenagers’ (which has an audience participation part in the form of the less-than-family-friendly line: ‘Teenagers scare/The living shit out of me’).
It’s also got its moments of drama with ‘Sleep’ and the tear-inducing ballad of ‘Cancer’ – so it’s not just a comedy, we’ll have you know.
Comparisons with Green Day’s American Idiot are inevitable – hell they’ve even used the same producer. And rest assured, while not a carbon copy, The Black Parade promises to be every bit as successful. Where the heck these guys will go from here, the Grim Reaper only knows…