A Sweet, Sweet Revenge of Good Music

“I’m not okay!” shouts My Chemical Romance lead singer Gerard Way, during the aptly titled “I’m Not Okay (I Promise).” I know what you’re thinking- “Great, yet another pseudo-emo-punk band singing about the pressures of not being socially accepted & never getting the girl.” OK, so you might be partially correct, but if you give Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge a chance, you might just find one of the smartest, fiercely cunning rock releases of the yearMy Chemical Romance quickly distinguish themselves from the repetitive, heard-it-a-million times-before punk bands with a precise mixture of loud, shrill vocals and an uneasy musical pace that threatens to keep the listener’s attention throughout. Add a splash of catchy hooks and the sort of infectious energy that encompasses much of what punk music stands for, and you’ve got the chemical equation for success.


ame Much to the musical elites’ chagrin, Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge is the sort of album that gets better with each song. Indeed, thanks in part to the band’s relentless use of varying styles, ranging from the unnaturally upbeat “You Know What They Do To Guys Like Us In Prison,” to the crunch guitar-driven “Thank You For The Venom,” you might be a little surprised to see so much diversity in songwriting from a band that typically is associated within the punk genre. Thanks in part to a notoriously energetic live show, and early signs of radio success, it looks like things are going to be more than ok for this New Jersey five-some.