The Black Parade - J's Take

I’ve given The Black Parade more than a few listens and while I like the album, there aren’t any songs that really jump out at me like some of the songs on Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. What I guess I would say about the new album is that if you are already a fan, you’ll like it, but I don’t imagine there will be a rush of converts. The one song I would remove from the album is Cancer. I agree with whoever in the band felt it was too literal. I am also kind of puzzled by the “album of the year” comments from some critics. Why is this album being taken so seriously when Three Cheers was not? On the way to a show this weekend, K and I were listening for Queen’s A Night at the Opera, a noted influence of The Black Parade. Listening to that album from start to finish, I really would say that My Chemical Romance is the closest modern day band carrying the torch for Queen. That’s a good thing. –J