The much anticipated release of My Chemical Romance’s new
album is here. Danger Days: The
True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys has attached the jumper cables to our
dead batteries and thrown the switch to send a million volts of gritty punk
rock coursing through our veins.
“Look
Alive Sunshine” is the first track to this album and starts listeners off
hard and fast, unplugging the hole to our bulging tanks of bottled-up anarchy.
Lead singer Gerard Way sings, “Look alive sunshine/ 1-0-9 in the sky but
the pigs wont quit you’re here with me Dr.Deathdefy.” This flows like
in-your-face poetry and this Deathdefy character brings fans strait to the
tenacious world of the Killjoys.
As
the first track picks up so does the music. This radio stream feeds strait into
the second song of the album titled, “Na Na Na.” Dr. Deathdefy leaves the listener with
these parting words of wisdom and a sick guitar undercurrent, “The future
is bullet proof/ the aftermath is secondary/ it’s time to do it now and do it
loud/ Killjoys make some noise!”
After
this message is cut, the high-octane adventure begins; the drums sync with the
guitar and a chorus explodes into the song with a bunch of energetic “na
na’s”. These two tracks set the tone for the entire album showing fans the new
more rock and roll side that My Chemical Romance has to offer.
No
sooner does My Chemical Romance detonate the listener to the world of the
Danger Days does it leave them on the run with the Killjoys in the song
“Bulletproof Heart.” Airy chimes and spacey background tones add an element
of weightlessness and syncs perfectly when the vocals blast in, “Gravity /don’t
mean too much to me.” This
song evolves from light and airy to a catchy pop punk song about wanting to
running away from life’s problems despite the need to face them.
The
story of Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys comes to a
grand finale with the last two tracks. In “Goodnite, Dr.Death,”
Dr.Deathdefy goes on-air one last time to say goodbye to all his faithful
listeners and leaves us with a scuffed recording of our nation’s national
anthem in return for our reverence.
As
the credits roll to this great expedition, “Vampire Money” barges in
with a final hoorah, incorporating a flavor from the age of swing. Fast paced drumbeats and tight, twangy
guitar-smithing makes the song come alive. This electrifying final track is a
perfect end to a great album.
Throughout
the album, My Chemical Romance uses their songs to shape the lives of the
mythical Killjoys. They take the listener on a wonderful expedition away from
the usual with innovative sounds in every song that keep the album’s momentum
moving. My Chemical Romance’s Danger
Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys packs every note with
hundreds of punk rock volts that will leave you humming for days.
4 stars out of 5