It’s been 20 years since My Chemical Romance released their second studio album “Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge”, and so in honor of it’s anniversary, let’s take a brief recap of the story behind the album.
My Chemical Romance was made by Gerard Way after the 911 attacks, as he felt the motivation to make a difference. The group’s original lineup consisted of Mikey Way, Ray Toro, Frank Iero and Matt Pelissier. They released their first album, “I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love“, but they had already began doing concerts and touring before that. Soon they signed with Reprise record and released their second album, the 20 year old, “Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge”. The album received positive feedback from critics and contained a ton of hits. Less than a year after its release, it was certified platinum and sold 3 million copies in the US.
Gerard Way, referred to the first single “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” as a “self help pop song” as well as an anthem for the young and depressed. The opener on the other hand, is considered as the highlight of the whole album itself. It was said to be the song that shaped their album and revealed their dark side.
The whole concept of the album was described as a “pseudo-conceptual horror story”. The story behind it was about a man and a woman separated by death. When the man goes to hell, the devil tells him she’s still alive, and that he may still be with her again if he brings him the souls of a thousand evil men. The man agrees and is given a gun.
The album is classified as “emo”, “alternative rock” “pop punk”, and is considered as a timeless classic.