My Chemical Romance -Three Cheers For SweetRevenge

Thu 14th Apr, 2005 in Music Reviews

A little bit emo, a lot pop-punk - My Chemical Romance’s new album Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge is palatable enough, but it breaks no new ground and it feels as though the band are constantly pulling themselves back from the edge. As a whole, the 13 tracks are illustrative of a band playing it safe and not venturing out of well-trodden territory all too often. Luckily for them, this will not detract from the New Jersey quintet’s mass appeal. They are hot shit right now.

Track 2, Give ‘Em Hell, Kid, is indicative of the whole album, really. It is catchy and fast enough, but never truly impacting. The pop-punk flavoured take on the songs remains apparent for most of the proceedings – To The End and I’m Not Okay (I Promise) are prime examples of this.

You Know What They Do To Guys Like Us In Prison is a bit different. There’s a bit of piano in here, and the track is slower and groovier during the initial verse. The chorus is fast-paced and is a nice contrast for the song. Sure, this formula has been done to death, but it works okay on here.

The Ghost of You, however, ventures into “skip the song!!” territory. The vocals are slow and warbling, while the chorus soars into the skies of emo.

Thankfully, tracks nine onwards appear to comprise the ‘wake up’ part of the album. Thank You For the Venom sees vocalist Gerard Way push himself into as yet unchartered territory, finally letting rip for a while. This happens again in penultimate song Hang ‘Em High, to the accompaniment of rapid guitars.

Cemetery Drive isn’t so bad either. The drumming intro shakes things up a bit, and the soaring vocals work in this song, as do the groovy guitars. Finally, a bit of deviation from the pop-punk formula.

My Chemical Romance will undoubtedly continue to gain the allegiance of thousands of fans and why not? They have the look, they have the style and they have adhered to a formula that has worked well for countless other bands.

And that’s what is most frustrating about this release. There are moments when it seems as though a song is about to give that little bit extra that will make you sit up and really take notice, but then, just as quickly, the reigns are pulled and the recording returns to its pleasant, inoffensive canter.