December Album Recommendation: My Chemical Romance's Conventional Weapons

With My Chemical Romance reuniting to play their first show together since 2012 at the end of this week, it was an inevitability that I would choose something from their discography to recommend this month. I'm sorry but I don't make the rules. They own December 20 now, just as much as March 22.

Now, I considered tackling the mammoth that is The Black Parade. I really did but I'm not sure what I could possibly add to the massive conversation around an album I already consider to be perfect. I feel similarly about Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, my only beef with that record being I still don't know who's dead in the concept. (Is it the man? Is it the lover? If you know and have undeniable proof, can you please share it with me?) I already talked about Danger Days here, so that leaves me with their first album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, or their final set of releases prior to the breakup, Conventional Weapons.

Like I said back in October when we found out about the reunion, I have no idea if this means new music or not. I've got my theories but this could very well be a one-off thing and MCR may remain having a four (five-ish?) album lifespan. If that's the case, I'm still overjoyed because it feels complete. (Ask me about my theory that the albums are a cycle if you're curious or disagree with that sentiment.)

The only thing putting a kink in that feeling of finality is the release of the Conventional Weapons tracks. If you don't know, Conventional Weapons is the scrapped album recorded in 2009 after The Black Parade and prior to Danger Days. In order to keep people engaged during the "break" after the Danger Days cycle, they released ten of the Conventional Weapons tracks, two at a time. While they don't technically form an album, I've still chosen them as this month's recommendation because they are (possibly) the last MCR songs and they're all under-appreciated bops.

"Boy Division:"

After touring The Black Parade nonstop for years and burning themselves out, everything came to head at Madison Square Garden, where it appeared My Chemical Romance had accomplished what it needed to and it was done. Then, Gerard Way wrote this song. Everyone say, "Thank you, Gerard."

The song kicks off with vocals, the rest of the band quickly coming in to round out the sound. It's fast, angry, and quintessential rock. The bridge/breakdown is expected of MCR (guitar heavy) and overall it's just a fun track to hear, however, it's lyrically poignant and even satirical.

The pre-chorus, "He's not dead, he only looks that..." strategically leads into the chorus, "Way out nowhere, take me out there / Far away and, save me from my / Self-destruction, hopeless for you." This is a cry for help if I've ever seen one and believe me, we'll see many of these throughout Conventional Weapons. It's also poking fun at the entire aesthetic, costumes, and makeup of The Black Parade. "I'm not dead, I only dress that / Way," Way sings in the second pre-chorus. Conventional Weapons was all about breaking away from the image of that previous album.

In the second verse, the speaker mentions drug use or the "lines you're putting down," singing, "It better be white, it better be cut / It better be just my size." Drug use and abuse is a prevalent theme in MCR's entire catalog, but seeing this line here reminds us these tracks are going to be deeply personal and autobiographical. They may be trying to be anything opposite of The Black Parade, but they're still MCR.

"Tomorrow's Money:"

Are we in a spy movie? James Bond, is that you? What the hell is that opening riff? I don't know but it kind of fits.

The drums are really prominent in this one and the vocals alternate with the beat in the chorus, pushing the song forward. I think the best way to describe the sound of this track is just destructive. It makes me want punch something. Hard.

This track isn't one of my favorites but it's really important development wise. It's simple to see how this song was a precursor to everything that would become Danger Days."If we crash this time / They've got machines to keep us alive," Way sings. This whole song is really a f*ck the man type track and a big screw you to the music industry.

Hands down the best line in this song is the final one: "Because rebellion's not a t-shirt you sell / You keep your money and I'll see you in hell." I really cannot believe they delivered this to Warner Brothers and no one batted an eye. Damn.

"Ambulance:"

A song "completely written for the fans," according to Gerard Way. I'm going to say this upfront: Using an ambulance as an overarching metaphor is a really smart idea, however, the reason this song is slightly lacking for me is I don't think the metaphor was pushed far enough.

The verses are, without a doubt, about being in MCR. "You don't know a thing about this life / And we are up for everything it takes / To prove we're not the same as them," Way sings. MCR isn't like other bands because "it's not a band, it's an idea." (SORRY.) The chorus plays on the concept that the band exists to save people's lives, something that was discussed with much more frequency prior to The Black Parade and the Daily Mail incident (we'll get there, hang on). Other than that though, it's not lyrically diverse or detailed, which is the biggest disservice to the concept.

Musically, this song is just plain pretty. The backing vocals are gorgeous and strengthen the lead vocals instead of detracting from them, especially in the chorus. The bridge pulls back and then builds upon itself in such a smart way. Seriously, this song is one of those that you just need to listen to in order to understand.

"Gun.:"

"We could get somebody else, but we want someone like you," Way chants in the beginning, echoing the infamous military recruitment slogan from WWI and WWII. This is a song about war, specifically soldiers wounded in Afghanistan.

Surprisingly enough, this is the first song off Conventional Weapons that tells a story. Essentially, there's a soldier overly excited to go to war, thanks to the manipulation and misunderstanding of just how serious it is that is often bred in young American boys. As the song progresses, he gets to Afghanistan and sees the reality of the situation, with him either dying in battle or joining anti-war campaigns. The conclusion is open-ended and unclear.

Gerard Way has never written a filler line in his life. Every lyric in this song is important and thought-provoking, so you should read them, but my favorite part of the track is by far, the bridge. The breakdown into "And now I'm never gonna have a S-O-N" which flows back into the chorus "Well, if I'm old enough to die for your mistakes / Then let's go," is genius.

I'm really fond of the guitars in this track. Ray Toro and Frank Iero mix their signature styles in the verses with that light, plinky part stacked on top of the rhythm. Also, don't quote me on this, but I'm pretty sure the yelling "Don't even have a gun" is a gang vocal with all of them on it and that's one of my favorite signatures of this band.

"The World Is Ugly:"

If I had to make a list of my top five MCR tracks at any given moment in time, I can confidently say this song would make the list 90% of the time. Maybe even more if we're talking about the live version.

Bare. Exposed. Raw. These are the words I'd use to describe this track. It's not complex in the way most MCR songs are. In fact, it's pretty simple lyrically and the instruments are relatively stripped down. If I had to, I'd say this is a distant cousin to "I Don't Love You" from The Black Parade. It's a beautiful love song, something I don't think you can say about most of their discography.

Also, it ends with a throwback to their first album, Bullets, and the song "Vampires Will Never Hurt You," as a robotic voice says, "One day, like this / We'll never be the same / Never, forever /Like ghosts in the snow / Like ghosts in the sun." Do I know why it's there? No. Is it intentional? Definitely. Gerard, please explain.

"The Light Behind Your Eyes:"

They hit us with "The World Is Ugly" out of nowhere and immediately slap us in the face again with this track. In his review of the song, Gerard said he was thinking about his daughter and their own mortality as a band when writing it, both of which are abundantly clear in the lyrics.

"So long to all my friends / Every one of them met tragic ends," he starts singing in the first verse. He goes on to say, "If I could be with you tonight / I would sing you to sleep" and "I failed and lost this fight / Never fade in the dark / Just remember you will always burn as bright." This is a song about legacy and continuing on when someone or something we love is gone.

Again, it's relatively simple and straight forward, much like the preceding track, but this one hits a little different because while the last song was about loving someone, this song is about leaving them behind in death.

Musically, we get strings throughout the song, building and releasing tension. If you know me, you know I'm a sucker for a good string section. This song does it right. The buildup into the second chorus is breathtaking and alters the entire tone of the rest of the song. It suddenly becomes so much more desperate and heartbreaking. The bridge just pushes it over the edge, and I mean, this is how you write a song.

"Kiss the Ring:"

"Another song about being in the band," Gerard tweeted regarding this one. I'm coming to find that without a concept for the album like the previous ones, Conventional Weapons became extremely autobiographical. In a way, MCR themselves were the characters of the album, similar to the Demolition Lovers (Bullets and Revenge) and the Patient (The Black Parade).

One of the "ballsy-est" moves the band ever made was kicking this song off with the lyrics "We kill the girls to get paid / And put the whole damn room on the edge of the blade." This is a facetious remark about the Daily Mail incident, in which the band was accused of running a "suicide-cult" and being responsible for the suicide of a young woman in the UK. Way goes on to sing, "You'll get far, stay clean," again referencing his own sobriety.

Throughout the choruses, Way tells us "Hail! Hail! / 'Cause the king is gone." Perhaps he's referring to himself and the influential position he holds in the scene, the same one he tells us in Revenge, "I wouldn't front the scene if you paid me." Years later and he's done more than front it, he's presiding over it. This is all about shedding that role he never asked for and just living.

Musically, this song kicks your ass. It's a good old fashioned rock track with an effect on the vocals really packaging it together. Conventional Weapons wasn't released because the band felt they could do better and I agree with that. I do, however, find that knowing this makes it easy to dismiss it as bad material. It's not though. Coming from any other band, these tracks would be killer. From MCR, though, it feels mediocre.

"Make Room!!!:"

Both thematically and musically, this track fits perfectly with its preceding partner. Another song about fame and the involuntary leadership role thrust upon Way, "Make Room!!!" flirts with ideas presented in the film "Make Room! Make Room!" such as using cannibals as a metaphor for the paparazzi.

More drug abuse references ("White lines, nose bleeds") and equivocating camera flashes with gunfire ("I know you get excited when the cameras go / Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta"), this is another cry for help. "Anybody gonna come and rescue me?" Way sings in the chorus.

Much like the earliest MCR songs, song structure is almost nonexistent here. I'm going to call it the bridge, because it's not the chorus or a verse, but technically it's not the bridge either. The second half of the song, "Everybody wants to change the world / But no one, no one wants to die!" reappears in almost the same form on Danger Days ("Na Na Na" I think?). Seeing it in its original form here is a stark contrast but shows just how influential Conventional Weapons is in relation to Danger Days.

"Surrender the Night:"

Here, we've got a relationship crashing and burning. Literally. This song is indicative of MCR's ability to use imagery in both lyrics and music. It's another example of their storytelling expertise on a much smaller level than their full concept albums.

"Everyone's a passenger, tonight," the song starts. Way is not in control of his own life. He wants to drive the metaphorical car. It's this fighting to be behind his own wheel that causes the eventual crash in the bridge: "Sparks against the railing / Distant phantoms wailing / Through the windshield, sailing / With these airbags failing." He describes a car crash, step-by-step, and consequently the messy end of the relationship in question. By the end of the song, we assume the lover is out of the picture and he is finally in control, repeating "But tonight belongs to me."

Musically, this feels like a cousin to "Helena" off Revenge. It's big and broad. Way's vocals are the focus, contrasting nicely with what the guitars are doing. That being said, "Helena" is more specific and visceral as a listening experience. This song is good but it doesn't pack the same punch.

"Burn Bright:"

The last Conventional Weapons track, one about which Gerard simply claimed, "Song about the band." All I have to say is, we should have known.

In the first verse, Way asks himself a series of questions, "Did you take it?...Did you make it?...Can you fake it? I lost my way in your city lights." He's already speaking in retrospect, a red flag for sure. He wonders if he if he made the most of his time as a frontman, if he can survive this life he's chosen. He ends this section admitting he's lost.

He references his past-addiction again and the role his recovery played in his rise to fame, singing, "Not ashamed of what I am / I took these pills for these empty nights / 'Cause it makes me who I am." The entire second verse is one of my favorite parts of Conventional Weapons. I'm not going to quote the whole thing so go listen to it, but the desperation in "They always told me that you'll never get to heaven / With a life like yours / Well, if you're lost, little boy / Oh, well, the cameras pull you right back down, yeah," gets me every single time.

And here's where it gets even more alarming. In the bridge, Way sings, "And though I missed the chance for this / I confess that I can't wait until it's gone / Know I meant his every single day / Don't go is you've got more to say / 'Cause the world don't need another hopeless cause / Though, it makes me who I am." In other words, our favorite frontman is done. He's ready for this rock star life to end but he's defined himself by this band for so long, he doesn't see a way out.

In the final chorus, he switches the lyrics and says, "I burned it all and I'm doing fine / 'Cause I'll never fade away." He's at peace with the end of MCR. He'll be alright because he knows what they've accomplished has left a legacy. He's done what he set out to do.

We really listened to this song and were still surprised when the breakup was announced. Joke's on us. That being said, I love this track. I love the guitar synths, the phrasing, everything. This is everything I could ask for to end Conventional Weapons.

Nevertheless, this is not the final MCR song. Following the announcement, the band released a greatest hits album, titled "May Death Never Stop You," and included one track from the elusive MCR5: "Fake Your Death." With this return on Friday, I really don't need to explain the significance of it but you should definitely give it a listen.

There you have it: Conventional Weapons. Am I glad it was scrapped for Danger Days? It was the right choice for sure. Is it bad? My Chemical Romance has never written a bad song, so no. Is it my favorite "album"? Revenge exists, but these are all jams, for sure.

Am I excited my favorite band came back from the dead? Just wait until Friday (and read this).

What do you think? Do you have a favorite MCR song? Do you even consider Conventional Weapons an album? Let me know what you think below and as always, thanks for reading! // bcp