In 2004, My Chemical Romance exploded onto the popular music scene with Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, a hyper-aggressive album that burned through MTV and created a goth-punk sensation unseen since the likes of Morrissey and The Cure. The ubiquitous single "Helena" carried the band's fame through 2005, a year in which a surge of adoring fans forced the once-underground punk act to straddle the line between popularity and overexposure. Early 2006 saw MCR enter the studio to record their third album, but not before releasing Life on the Murder Scene, a CD/double DVD that documents the band's meteoric rise to fame and showcases their ability to maintain the punk credibility they garnered before becoming a household name.
"This is how we do it on the murder scene," growls lead singer Gerard Way on the album's third track, "Give 'Em Hell, Kid." Indeed, Life on the Murder Scene is an appropriate title for the DVD portion of the album, which features behind-the-scenes glimpses of MCR's violent-chic music videos, live footage and tour adventures. The CD portion contains live cuts of the band's hits and several previously unreleased demo tracks. Together, the discs are a fan's dream, but the package is unlikely to convert anyone on the opposite side of the MCR phenomenon. The same attributes that make Life on the Murder Scene a thrill for fans makes the CD almost unbearable for those who have dismissed the band as just another part of the trendy pop-punk scene.
Way's unmistakable voice, for instance, is as reckless and warbling on Life on the Murder Scene's live tracks as it is on the band's glossed-up studio releases. Those who enjoy gruesome lyrics shrieked at breakneck speed will dig Way's ad-libbed renditions of MCR hits like "Cemetery Drive" and "I'm Not Okay (I Promise.)" Those who enjoy the ability to hear, however, should be advised to turn down the volume as Way vaults into mosh tracks like "Thank You for the Venom." Despite of his in-your-face intensity, Way is nevertheless a massively captivating live singer. Though unable to reach some of "Helena's" soaring notes in an intimate AOL Sessions performance, he more than redeems himself with a spine-tingling delivery of "You Know What They Do To Guys Like Us in Prison," the album's fastest, most frantic live track.
The band behind Way, which includes brother Mikey playing bass alongside guitarist Frank Iero, drummer Bob Bryar and guitarist Ray Toro, provides a thundering backdrop for every fiercely shrieked line. From the purely mosh pit-driven amps of "Thank You for the Venom" to the sinisterly quiet opening bars of "Helena," the band is a testament to goth-punk at its most riotous. Although a few shades lighter than heavy metal, the music of Life on the Murder Scene is powerful enough to secure MCR's place among the Used and Green Day as stylish revivers of adrenaline-packed rock.
For all of MCR's power, however, their efforts lack diversity. Nearly every track on Life on the Murder Scene depicts some sort of violent spectacle, from "I Never Told You What I Do for a Living" ("They gave us two shots to the back of the head / And we're all dead now") to the demo version of "Bury Me in Black" ("I wanna see what your insides look like / I bet you're not f-ing pretty on the inside"). Similarly, every song except for the mellow finale, "Desert Song," features shout-along choruses wedged between narrative verses about death, blood, revenge or a disturbingly thorough blend of the three.
Taking into account this lyrical violence along with the band's heavy instrumentals, it is somewhat surprising that MCR has become an MTV staple alongside artists like Jesse McCartney and Kelly Clarkson. But unlike some of their less-popular contemporaries, the band seems intent on selling an image along with CDs. From their trademark jacket art featuring the blood-spatter faces of an illustrated couple to the matching suits-and-eyeliner wardrobe of all five members, MCR clearly broods over their fashion as much as their music. This is not unheard of, especially in today's image-obsessed music industry, but it compromises the band's potential to be taken seriously.
The live performances on "Life on the Murder Scene" add to MCR's relentless self-promotion. Way's profanity-laced stage banter, for instance, is obviously rehearsed and often overdone. Their eagerness to push this gothed-out image makes sense from a PR standpoint, but is instantly repulsive for those who prefer their music subtle and unpretentious.
Despite their incessant imaging, MCR delivers a solid set of live and unreleased tracks on "Life on the Murder Scene." Though little more than an in-between-album treat for their fans, the CD/DVD set is an accurate and entertaining representation of the My Chemical Romance that's been blasting through stereos and TV sets since their ascent to fame in 2004.
Rating: 3 out of 5
