My Chemical Romance - Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys

Well it's here...sorta the highly anticipated album of the year brings back alternative rockers My Chemical Romance to the foreground of the music scene. But this time they've left their black parade attire behind along with everything else. "Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys", is the fourth album in the My Chemical Romance catalog so this time the concept takes a different toll by surrounding the lives of the "Fabulous Killjoys".

The band poses as the four Killjoys (minus former drummer Bob Bryar); "Party Poison" (Gerard Way), "Jet Star" (Ray Toro), "Fun Ghoul" (Frank Iero), and "Kobra Kid" (Mikey Way), all of whom are shown in the video for "Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)". So the Killjoys are a group of outlaws fighting against an evil corporation called Better Living Industries (BL/ind.) lead by Korse in the year 2019. Their guide through this treacherous time is pirate radio DJ, Dr. Death Defying.

So when it comes down to this album the old school fan base of My Chemical Romance may need some time to adjust to this new material because MCR has stepped away from who they once were and now that they’ve stepped it up, it’s a whole another story. Like take "Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)", this upbeat yet very bouncy tune is indeed catchy and fun filled throughout, but it's not the MCR way. "SING", "The Only Hope for Me Is You", each play their roles of being the softer tunes offered on this album. The music plays on a mellow dramatic ground that keeps it on a down low so it isn’t as compelling as the other tunes.

"Party Poison", "Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back", and "S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W", just lack the quality that MCR is known for the instruments are solid ground but it just doesn't live up to the material that "once was". So this is just out dated new material that can't seem to catch a good break. "DESTROYA", and "Vampire Money", tend to make things more complex on this release. These two make the music sound flat it builds up on certain aspects but leaves the listener wondering why am I even listening to this?

"Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys", by My Chemical Romance may look like the rock album of the year for some. But in reality My Chemical Romance should have stuck to their originality of way back when, because this new stuff just isn’t cutting it.