My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance | |
|---|---|
| My Chemical Romance, 2005 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | |
| Years active | 2001 – present |
| Members | Gerard Way, Mikey Way, Frank Iero, Ray Toro, Bob Bryar |
My Chemical Romance (commonly abbreviated MCR or called My Chem by fans and My Chem Rom by the media) is a popular American emo band. The genre of music the band plays is often misinterpreted and highly debated. Vocalist Gerard Way however, refers to their music as "emo". The band cites their influences from other rock groups like Bad Religion, Fugazi, Iron Maiden, The Misfits and The Smashing Pumpkins. The band members hail from Belleville and Kearny, New Jersey (except drummer Bob Bryar, from Chicago, Illinois). Bassist Mikey Way coined the band's name from a book entitled Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance, by Irvine Welsh.[1]
The band was formed by frontman Gerard Way and ex-drummer Matt Pelissier in 2001. MCR released their first full album I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love in 2002 on independent label Eyeball Records, which earned them an underground following; the album was produced by Thursday frontman Geoff Rickly.
2004 saw the release of their second album and major label debut Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge and their first hit single "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)". "Helena" was their second single, and it earned them five MTV Video Music Awards nominations and two Kerrang! Awards. (At the MTV ceremony, Usher met the band and called their lead singer "Steve" [2]). Their third (and most recent) single from the album is "The Ghost of You".
In early 2006, MCR plans on releasing, Life on the Murder Scene which will be a DVD giving a behind-the-scenes look at their rise to fame. A third album is also planned to be out in 2006, but no title and release date has been announced yet.
My Chemical Romance's popularity has spread internationally particularly in both the UK and Australia (they played two shows with Green Day and Jimmy Eat World in Sydney and Melbourne and a show in Brisbane in December 2005).
Members
- Gerard Way — lead vocals
- Mikey Way — bass guitar
- Frank Iero — rhythm guitar, backup vocals
- Ray Toro — lead guitar, backup vocals
- Bob Bryar — drums
Former Members
- Matt Pelissier — drums
Discography
Studio albums
- I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love (2002-07-23, Eyeball Records)
- Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge (2004-06-08, Reprise Records)
DVD
- Life on the Murder Scene (expected 2006-03-21, Reprise Records/WEA)
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 | US Modern Rock | UK Singles Chart | |||
| 2002 | "Honey, This Mirror Isn't Big Enough for the Two of Us" | - | - | - | I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love |
| 2002 | "Vampires Will Never Hurt You" | - | - | - | I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love |
| 2004 | "Headfirst For Halos" | - | - | - | I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love |
| 2004 | "Give 'Em Hell Kid" | - | - | - | Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge |
| 2004 | "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" | #86 | #4 | #19 | Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge |
| 2005 | "Helena" (music video) | #33 | #11 | #20 | Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge |
| 2005 | "Ghost of You" | #84 | #9 | #27 | Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge |
| 2005 | "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" (re-release) | - | - | #28 | Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge |
References
References to Literature
- The song 'To the End' on Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge is argued to be based on a short story by William Faulkner, a popular gothic novelist, called A Rose for Emily.