My Chemical Romance
Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys

Listening for the first time to the latest creation by Gerard Way's group, one gets the impression of playing the wrong album. It seems like you downloaded a fake copy from the web or that it's a joke, yet it's none of that.

The right word is astonishment. Whether this adjective should have a positive or negative connotation, I'll let you decide, but it cannot be ignored when analyzing the fourth album by My Chemical Romance.

It's them, always labeled by some media as being close to a dark fashion and image, but honestly more on the level of image and makeup than anything else, coming out with a manifesto "Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys" once again produced by Rob Cavallo, which denies much of their history.

It could have been the album of confirmation, but instead, it ended up being one of obviousness justified. To be honest, it’s quite jarring to hear them on certain sound coordinates that I would never have expected from their album.

This is unfortunately the first album containing the first really bad tracks (not just fillers) of their career. "Planetary Go!", "Sing", "Party Poison", harsh hits for those who had built a formidable ensemble like "The Black Parade".

These cheerful and somewhat banal tunes, as well as the festive atmosphere surrounding the album, clash with an image or those who appreciated other My Chemical Romance albums.

A bit of last-minute pop-punk diluted with synth and electronics blended with the arena rock of Muse and a bit from the latest The Used of Artwork, and there you have the complete picture.

Fortunately, the album is not composed only of forgettable or atrocious tracks ("Planetary Go!" could have been written by any boyband!) but manages to lift itself and stand when Gerard Way returns to being Gerard Way, accompanied by the merry band, releasing the delicate ballad "Summertime" - "The Kids From Yesterday" boasting one of the best refrains - "Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back" and "The Only Hope For Me Is You", which won’t equal the old hits but help shift the judgment otherwise not too flattering.

Credit is due to My Chemical Romance for managing in any situation to produce catchy pieces and having a significant pop taste as seen in the playful titled and not only "Na na na (Na na na na na na na na na)" which with the adopted solutions a bit resembles "Dead!" from the previous album and "Bulletproof Heart" another live anthem.

The only old-style track that will be appreciated by old fans is "Destroya" which without hesitation in antithesis with the rest, sweeps everything away and takes us back in time with a tornado of unease and dark tones.

Much more could be said, starting with the story of the concept, but in truth, the points to reflect on are others, like the comic-loving passion of the frontman or the story and the apocalyptic scenario of superheroes fighting evil narrated in a near future and that underpins the album's lyrics. Although the interludes that break the album could frankly have been avoided.

Finally surprising is that the two unreleased tracks relegated to bonus track status in other versions of the album were not included in the "standard" version in favor of tracks that, on the contrary, should have been completely discarded. But this feature happens quite often these days.

A very light and accessible album for the masses, which I honestly would have expected more from Sum 41, who instead with the latest "Screaming Bloody Murder" have disguised themselves as MCR, than anything else. The judgment is on hold, it is now up to them to decide whether to continue on the path traced by "Danger Days..." and be a small dot indistinguishable from the crowded current mainstream music scene or wisely take a step back...