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

When it comes to bands, evolution is kind of a strange thing. Fans get accustomed to what they think their favorite band should sound like, and when the new album doesn’t exactly line up with expectations, they get angry. Change can be a risky endeavor.

So what does this have to do with My Chemical Romance? Well, a lot, if one examines “Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys”. “Danger Days” holds a lot of great material, but gone are the days of the visceral, manic My Chemical Romance.

“Danger Days” is a synth laden, somewhat narrated (by Dr. Death, might I add) post-apocalyptic romp that should satisfy fans of the band, so long as they are open minded. Opener ‘Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)’ serves as a typical My Chemical Romance opener (it’s a great track), but the flawless ‘Bulletproof Heart’ is where all of this synth business comes into play. It’s a brilliant mix of synthesizer, irresistible hooks, and perfectly executed rock and roll. ‘Bulletproof Heart’ is the track that proved to this listener that “Danger Days” is not only a great album, but a mature effort from the band.

‘Bulletproof Heart’ isn’t the only track that stands out on the record, with other great jams like ‘Sing’, and ‘Vampire Money’ rounding out an interesting tracklist. ‘Sing’ is a good old fashioned ballad, and ‘Vampire Money’ is a crazy amalgamation of fuzzy guitars, quick drums and punk rock stylings. It’s an excellent way to close out the record, and if it weren’t for ‘Bulletproof Heart’, ‘Vampire Money’ might very well be the best track on the record. The album isn’t without its faults, though.

While there really aren’t a ton of issues, ‘S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W’ is a slowed down ballad that is a bit of a miss, in this listener’s opinion, and ‘Planetary (Go!)’ is slightly too dance oriented. That being said, most of the tracks are great.

While “Danger Days” may take a few listens to appeal to very devoted fans of the band, the changes My Chemical Romance made on “Danger Days” are positive ones. This is apparent not only in the quality of the tracks, but how the tracks represented borrow from great past eras and incorporate those borrowed ideas impeccably. “Danger Days” could potentially alienate a portion of the My Chemical Romance fan base, but if those listeners give it a chance, they’ll give in to the smartly written rock and have a good time with the Fabulous Killjoys.

4/5

'Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys' by My Chemical Romance is available now through Warner Brothers Records

Official Site

My Chemical Romance on MySpace, Facebook and Twitter.

Landon Peterson