My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way has spoken exclusivly to Kerrang! about the bandshighly anticipated follow-up to 2004's 'THREE CHEERS FOR SWEET REVENGE'.
The New Jersey goth-punks are currently putting the finishing touches to the album in Los Angeles with producer Rob Cavallo, who worked with Greenday on their smash, 'AMERICAN IDIOT'. "Were mastering right now and trying to get the final tracks together" reveals Way."Working with Rob has been amazing. He is so encouraging and is a very fearless producer. He doesnt concern himself with whats on the radio or whats going to sell a lot of copies, but he pushes for greatness. If you want daring he'll take you there". Way confesses, however, that making this third album has been anything but easy for him and his bandmates;bassist Mikey Way , guitarists Frank Iero and Ray Toro and drummer Bob Bryar.
" Its getting harder", the singer admits."I was walking down Melrose with our manager recently and it was at that moment that I realised-and I've never given it much thought before- but each record you make brings you closer to the death of your band".
"I'm usually a very positive person, " he laughs. "But that realisation enabled me to identify why making this record was so painful. You have to drag out all this disgusting, terrible stuff from your insides and put it on a table and examine it . Thats a very painful process. But I believe that it definitely makes for a great record."Salvation and redemption are reccuring themes on this record" he adds " And we needed salvation and redemption big time. There was a point while we were recording at this haunted house in Silverlake,Los Angeles, called The Parmour, where it was the darkest point, emotionally, in the bands career.Some of the guys had gone through some really trying stuff abd we really had to be there for each other. The relationships between us are what kept the band together. We learnt to be more than brothers, more than family. We needed each other to stay alive."
It was during this time, Way reavals that the album started to take a dark turn: one they hadnt intentionally set out to pursue.
"We'd set out to make this a very large , epic album. Almost Queens 'A Night At The Opera' metts Pink Floyds ' The Wall', meets The Beatles 'Sgt Peppers...'", Way explains "But it started to become really dark.That will always be something in our band but this was extremely dark. So it was at that moment we wrote a song called 'Famous Last Words'. It is one of the most important songs on the record for us.Theres a lot of hope in that song".
So what does the new album sound like?
"It's a very classic-sounding record" says Way."Obviously we are a contemporary band band but we've always been influenced by older bands and their sounds. It's very epic, very sweeping , and very sad.There are a few songs on the record thats are very difficult yo listen to and they kinda beat the shit out of you !"
Does it sound like MCR ?
" I think people will be very suprised" he muses. " It sounds like My Chemical Romance but thats only because its the same five people. Theres nothing that sounds like this.It's daring."Although Way confirms that he and his bandmates have a title for the album, he won't reveal it, saying it's "super secret". But he does name two other songs, as well as 'Famous Last Words', that will be included in the final track listing:'Dead!' and 'How I Disappear'.
The band also recently shot two new videos in two days, but an accident on the second shoot resulted in the fivesome having to cancel their appearence at the San Diego Street Scene festival on August 5.
"I cant give much away about the videos,"Way insists."But we are pretty rattled and traumatised, but in a great way!The shoots were so phenomenal and so cathic, and , with the second one especially, it felt like we exorcised a lot of demons.There were some injuries sustained -I'm walking on crutches and Bob has a burn on his leg-but were all okay."
Do you think that this new album will mark a turning point for the band ? "I believe it will," states Way."The vision and the concept are so large and so focused and there are a lot of elements that were planned way in advance.We've worked with some amazing people.We worked with Colleen Atwood, who is, to me, the best costume designer in the world-she did all the Tim Burton films. She understood us so well.We gave her drawings and she knew exactly what to do to bring thses drawings to life.Sonically and visually this is the biggest thing we've ever done and it's going to take us to greater heights.
"Our fans are so smart, so special , and so unique that I feel this record is a reflection of them," adds the frontman."We are so , so tremendously excited and we're so excited and we're so proud of i t.We're actually getting frustrated having to wait for people to hear it! We cant wait for you to hear it."
My Chemical Romance's new album will be released on October 23 rd via Warners.The band play a special K!-sponsered show at London's Hammersmith Palais on August 22nd and The Carling Weekend:Reading and Leeds .See Volume for details.
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