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

LA RECENSIONE

Since the release of the successful "The Black Parade" in 2006, 4 years have passed. In these 4 years, the band has: decided to return to their roots, written an album close to rock'n'roll without an underlying concept, and realized that it wasn't what they wanted for themselves and for the fans. Some of the members got married and became fathers, the others simply grew up. And that’s why one day they said to themselves: "enough with the black. In this gray world, let's bring the colors back to life ourselves." And from there, one of the most elaborate concepts in history developed. After months of no updates, a TV appeared on the official site, with footage and sounds. And after several unsettling videos, the band revealed their work with the trailer Art Is The Weapon, leaving fans speechless, both positively and negatively.

"Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys" is a concept album that narrates the adventures of the Killjoys, outlaws who survive in an apocalyptic California of the year 2019. They have to face the BL Ind., a company with evil ideals, an enemy named Korse, and a myriad of Draculoids, monsters with white faces. Their laser guns are called Party Poison, Jet Star, Kobra Kid, and Fun Ghoul, and they are aided by a young girl and Dr. Death Defying, a man who will also lend his voice for the album.

Since the main thing, in the end, is the music, "Danger Days" is a CD that departs from the band's previous works, which risked losing many fans, perhaps tied to their more "chemical" side. All the tracks blend perfectly together, guiding us on this journey in California 2019. Although the screams and strumming typical of the first two albums are sometimes absent, fast and powerful songs are not lacking. With this album, to give an opinion, the band can only gain new fans, given its refined sounds, its never-repetitive lyrics, and its astonishing originality.

Analyzing the individual tracks: "Look Alive, Sunshine" is a spoken intro by Dr. Death Defying that takes us to "Na Na Na", the first single of the album, very energetic and colorful. "Bulletproof Heart" and "SING" are two songs, especially the latter, that show us the band's shift to a less aggressive style, but which doesn't disappoint. Planetary (GO!) is the track that no one would have ever expected, a danceable and wild song, but not for that reason predictable. "The Only Hope For Me Is You" is another soft track, following the style of the third and fourth. After "Jet Star And The Kobra Kid/Traffic Report", another intro, comes "Party Poison", a "party-banshee but celebratory" song, as Gerard Way defined it. After returning to the roots with "Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back", we have an extraordinary "S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W", an original, soft, and dreamy ballad, followed by the sweet "Summertime", which opens the space for the extremely powerful "DESTROYA". Then we find "The Kids From Yesterday", the best of the album according to the band, calm and melancholic. A final farewell + American anthem with "Goodnite, Dr. Death" and then the band goes back in time with Vampire Money, a song against the Twilight saga that concludes the album in a devastating manner.

There's nothing to say, the album deserves the highest praise. A tremendous work that I don't think will disappoint anyone.