Emo-Punk/Rock has been quietly gaining momentum in the hearts of young teenagers around the world for the last half decade.  It started with acts such as AFI and H.I.M. using emo elements in punk-rock then adding harder edged production to the mix, taking the bleeding hearts from groups like Dashboard Confessional and using those heartbreak songs to create a powerful push from mushy to metallic.  My Chemical Romance burst on to the scene with their smash hit “I’m Not Okay” in 2005 off their debut Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge.  With optimistic reviews and a lot of radio play, teenagers and young adults alike awaited the sophomore release that would come just a year and a half later.  Welcome to the Black Parade.

It doesn’t take long to recognize that this group have talent.  ”Dead!”, the first single and the follow up to the album’s intro track, is an exclamation mark on the word “energetic”.  Perhaps one of the best punk songs ever written, “Dead!” launches The Black Parade with the most excitement I’ve ever encountered on an album and makes for the album’s best track.  But that’s not to say that the rest of The Black Parade is heavily shadowed by such an explosive start.  You’ll find that, as you progress through this epic project, that other jewels exist.  ”The Sharpest Lives” benefits from some slick guitar production and is definitely another high energy moment on the album.  The title track, “Welcome To The Black Parade”, channels the spirit of Queen with more purity than I’ve ever encountered.  The slow-marching build and song structure finds comparison to the supergroups massive hit “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “We Are The Champions”.  The bouncy “Mama” is an instant highlight here with its super fun verses, which find singer Gerard Way having a grim revelation with his mother, saying “Mama, we all go to Hell… Mama, we’re all gonna die”.  ”Teenagers” and “Famous Last Word” are other noteworthy tracks that continue the momentum of a great and likely classic punk-rock album.  ”Teenagers” features a clever old-school 12-bar-blues guitar riff layered under a modern rock band feel which continues to show this band has talent when it comes to writing fun songs.

‘Nuff said, this album rocks.  You’ll be hard pressed to find a better Punk-Rock offering anywhere.

Grade: 95 (A)