It’s Been Nearly 15 Years Since ‘The Black Parade’ & We’ll Carry On

Looking back now, the ’00s really were a blessed time.

Sure, it may not have felt like it if you were also a dorky teenager, with a mouth full of braces, a face full of acne, and wearing bright red skinny leg jeans from Jay Jays. But with the benefit of hindsight, the ’00s emo era was a magical time to be alive.

From The Used, to Fall Out Boy, to Paramore, the ’00s emo wave was maybe the best decade of music to ever exist. That may sound like an outlandish statement, but don’t @ me about bands that were popular in the ’60s or ’70s when none of us were alive. I don’t care.

Now, I’m going to take you back to a time in 2006, 15 whole years ago, when a band of misfits from New Jersey released their third studio album. I am, of course, talking about My Chemical Romance’s stellar album The Black Parade.

Yes, it’s been 15 whole years since My Chemical Romance gave the world The Black Parade and for that alone, we should be celebrating all damn year.

(Please note the official anniversary is in October this year.)

Here are just SOME of the reasons The Black Parade was a blessing to the world.

1. It was a conceptual album so it was more than just some good tunes. It was an entire journey into a different world.

Do you think your other fave emo bands could pull off a rock opera like this? I don’t think so, honey. My Chem pivoted from being the uncool kids on the block after Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge, and delivered something totally out of left-field, because they’ve got the range. The Black Parade is centred on a dying character known as ‘The Patient’ with the whole album telling the story of his death, experiences in the afterlife, and reflections on life.

2. Every song is killer. There’s absolutely no filler.

How often these days do you sit down with an album and play it from start to finish? NEVER! Unless you’re listening to this album!

From the start tune ironically titled ‘The End.’ all the way to the secret track ‘Blood’, each song is an experience in its own right. Some songs may hold more power than others (*cough* ‘Famous Last Words’ *cough*), but there’s not one single skippable track on this record.

Trust me.

3. Lead singer Gerard Way has even said the third album was always going to be the pinnacle of the band’s career.

Gerard Way stated in a 2014 interview that they had originally visualised the album as the band’s last. “The end of The Black Parade felt like a very natural ending,” he said. “To go beyond that felt like betraying some sort of artistic command that I had within myself. Basically, the time spent after The Black Parade was me fighting against that instinct and against myself.”

We’re not complaining because we still got Danger Days, but if you’re a fan of MCR you could also see how it’d make perfect sense for the band to disband after TBP.

4. 15 years later, it still slaps and the songs are absolutely timeless.

What other emo band could feature Liza Minnelli in a purely chaotic masterpiece of a song like ‘Mama’? The album takes inspiration from other great bands and artists that have come before MCR like Queen, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, and David Bowie – throw that in with some broadway influences and the classic angst of My Chem and you’ve got something that still hits just as hard in 2021 as it did in 2006.

5. One simple phrase: the G note.

If you know, you know.

6. It may be the best album of the last 20-odd years*.

*Now, this is purely subjective…

…but name a more iconic album of the ’00s. There’s only one argument for a better album: Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge. But to me, they’re on par. Two totally different things that can’t be compared. Two icons. Two masterpieces. Are you still with me?

Thanks for listening. Consider these my famous last words.