IRT Magazine

I’ve always had the feeling that emo is a genre that completely exists and is created by and for the young. That it would never grow or survive longer then the current fans are young enough to appreciate it. Two albums have come out over the five months that have changed my mind. The first is My Chemical Romance’s “The Black Parade”. Beyond any weak “concept” involving a character called “The Patient”, this album works simply because of pure epic bravado. Singer Gerard Way has worshiped Freddy Mercury and Queen for the past few years and the influence of Fred and company could not be more blatant. No band in their right mind should make songs as bombastic and over the top as the songs on TBP. Simply put this band has balls and a penchant for catchy, epic pop tunes. You want to be an artist you’ve got to be wiling to let self consciousness fall by the wayside. MCR has done that with this record. The second record is Brand New’s “The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me”. It is obvious that between the last album and this album the members of Brand New have gone through some serious dark shit. There are songs about lost love, but mostly these songs deal with a deep disillusionment and a search for faith in a hostel world. For instance “Limousine” is a song written about a little girl who was decapitated in a car accident on Long Island. The music reminds me a bit of what the Afghan Whigs used to do. You can dismiss these bands because they are on the cover of Alternative Press, but you’re missin’ out.

Last Modified : February 13th, 2007
Filed under : Op-Ed
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