The scrawled notebook design for a video on MCR is a stroke of pure genius.

I listened to "Cancer" and "Famous Last Words" over and over again in the hospital when I was sick with leukemia. The album helped me overcome my fear of death, but you realize that the worst part about cancer is leaving your loved ones behind and what it does to them. "I am not afraid to keep on living" -- that line really resonated with me. I wasn't ready to give up just yet and I wanted to fight. Out of everything, music helped me a lot when I was sick. The Black Parade came out when I was in middle school, but it means more to me now than it ever did. The Black Parade was MCR's magnum opus.

It's weird how there's been an influx in videos about My Chemical Romance recently. It's satisfying to see them finally getting serious recognition. Not that they didn't have it before, but I feel that time has proved them to be far more than just an "angsty emo band". Great video.

- The Black Parade: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band but emo. - Danger Days: Mad Max but gay.

"If i could rearrange the alphabet I'd put MCR back together" -anonymous MCR fan

You've now officially done essays on my two favorite albums of all time. Thank you for the amazing work and breakdowns!

Anyone else get chills when black parade cane on. Immediately transported me back to highschool

I learned not that long ago that Gerard Way also wrote The Umbrella Academy comics which were then turned in to the Netflix series. Kinda blew my mind

I always thought blood's "fun" vibe was a throwback to dead's lyrics "if life ain't just a joke then why are we laughing ?", which was pretty meta considering that the whole album was about death and the last song looks like just a joke

Make an MCR Polyphonic poster and I’ll buy it.

If anyone one here hasn't seen it, Wendigoon does a really good break down on the story hidden in the album. The songs are out of order chronologically

My Chemical Romance is so, so much more than what people think it is. Most people just look at it and see a typical emo band, with half-assed vocals and going to screams whenever they couldn’t think of any original ideas for their music. When in reality, My Chemical Romance made emotional masterpieces that not only meant something to the listener, but it meant something to them. MCR formed in late September, 2001, after lead vocalist Gerard Way witnessed the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center first hand in New York City. Even though this occurrence stung the eyes of America, it in turn opened his-making him realize that he needed to do something with his life. He needed to make something of himself, rather than staying in a low paying job, stuck in a cubicle animating for Cartoon Network. It gave him an idea. He returned home to write his first ever song, now known as Skylines and Turnstiles. And with that, Way returned to the thing he loved ever so much in childhood; music. Later, Way called up an old friend. ‘What are you doing with your life? Are you happy? Do you maybe want to.. start a band?’ he asked Matthew Pelissier. Matt answered with a ‘yes’, and Way returned to his childhood town of Belleville, New Jersey. As Pelissier took on the role of drummer in his and Way’s unnamed band, Way decided that he was going to do vocals and guitar. Only a little while later, did Way realize that he wan’t a good enough guitarist to sing and play. So he made another call to his old friend Raymond Toro, someone who he has said is the best guitarist he knows. At the time, Toro was in his own band-playing the drums. Way questioned why, as Toro’s true talent was the guitar. Toro answered that he was just trying to make a living, but he said he’d give this new band a shot-even though he was skeptic that anyone would be interested in the unnamed band. The newborn band playing one original song and cover of their favorites, took the interest of another young man, who was only 21 at the time-Micheal Way. Gerard’s younger brother Mikey had played bass with him before in a very short lived band of their teenage hood, Ray Gun Jones, and Mikey was interested in joining this new one. Mikey joined, playing a white, sparkly bass. The band had wrote a few more songs, only to remember that they had no name for themselves. Mikey, who was working at a local Barnes and Noble at the time, walked around the store with some friends. His eye was drawn to an Irvine Welsh novel-Ecstasy. He picked up the novel and looked at the peculiar cover, and noticed something of interest. _Ecstasy, four tales of Chemical Romance_ Mikey thought it was perfect, and was quite shocked that no one had thought of naming a band Chemical Romance. When Mikey came home, he told Gerard about the name and Gerard loved it. Chemical Romance performed a show in a cramped basement of a few teens who liked the band’s hard rock feel. A homeless man sat in the corner of the ‘concert’, recording the whole show on a busted up recorder. Chemical Romance were interested in recording an album, though they didn’t have enough songs just yet. They recorded rough demo versions of ‘Skylines and Turnstiles’ and ‘Cubicles’ before revisiting their name. Mikey added the ‘my’ to My Chemical Romance, as the songs they wrote were in the first person, telling a story of a man’s horrible romance. My Chemical Romance played at a bar after a small band called Pencey Prep. Gerard was drawn to the lead singer of the band, who sang and played guitar. The young man was spastic and filled with death-defying energy. He tore up the stage and lit up the crowd in a way that Gerard had never seen before. After the show, the boy came to tell them how much he loved the band, saying that he knew they’d go far out of Jersey. The band found that the young man’s name was Frank Iero, and then after became the band’s first diehard fan. Gerard handed off the demo recording of their songs, and Iero would listen to them every time before a show to get himself hyped up. A little time later, with eleven songs and an instrumental, My Chemical Romance signed to the small record label-Eyeball Records-to record their debut album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love. After recording their first song, a familiar face broke up his own band and joined theirs-Frank Iero. Bullets was released on July 23rd, 2002, and gained the band a small but cult following. Two years later, on June 8th, 2004, My Chemical Romance went on to release their second album, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. With the departure of Matt Pelissier in 2004, a new young drummer came to work with the band to start playing at shows with them, Robert Bryar. He was a shy kid from Chicago, who showed an incredible talent for the drums-a talents that was noticed by MCR. Him, being a fan of the band, joined nearly immediately, but he wasn’t prepared for what was going to happen next. Revenge went on to sell double the records in one summer than Bullets had in two years. Revenge became an incredible success, and gained the band a following that they had never dreamed of getting. Their faces graced major magazines and talk shows, discussing their hit singles such as ‘Helena’ and ‘I’m Not Okay (I Promise)’. MCR produced two professionally directed and choreographed music videos for said songs that year, contrasting their previous music videos, which starred friends and local ‘actors’, cheap cameras and editing, and home made props. The following year, MCR released a heartbreaking music video for their song ‘Ghost of You’, which greatly contrasted their first music videos-having a budget of one million dollars. And in 2006, My Chemical Romance went on to release the album that got them platinum success-on October 23rd, 2006, The Black Parade was unleashed unto the world. The band’s opus was talked about by old fans, new fans, critics, haters, and people who didn’t even listen to them. But most importantly, they had reached all the outcasts, the weirdos, the freaks-the people who thought that they weren’t good enough for society-the people just like the members in the band. My Chemical Romance had achieved what they set out for. They were done. Gerard wondered about the future. In the beginning of recording The Black Parade, he had been homeless. Now, he was rich. He was angry about it. He thought that this wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted to make a difference, but he didn’t want everyone to know his name. The fame he wanted wasn’t what he got. It was better. He didn’t understand. How could it be that only 5 years ago, he was no one? Just a kid in the shadows. But now-he could see his face everywhere. The face he hated. He didn’t want to go on-he didn’t need to. He dealt like it was destroying what he had done. And yet, he did it anyway. My Chemical Romance released their fourth album, Danger Days (The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys) on November 22nd, 2010. Now only four members, after Bob had left the band, it felt... empty. Gerard felt like he had done something wrong, and with that, he relapsed into alcohol-after being six straight years sober. But things were different now. People knew who he was. It didn’t water back in 2004, Gerard was just the crazy lead singer of My Chem. But now, he was Gerard Way, lead vocalist of My Chemical Romance, the band that saved the modern era. Now, he was a father. He couldn’t live with himself, doing the same thing over, and over, and over again. Thinking that things will be different even though it was the same damn thing. And as he looked into the eyes of his four-year-old daughter, he felt clarity. He went to rehab, he started taking his medication again, and he stopped starving himself. He didn’t have to to be someone for the world, he had to be himself. And he had to be a father. On March 22nd, 2013, Gerard let the world know that the physical force of My Chemical Romance was no more, but the light would never truly go out. For twelve years, the light burned within the hearts of five men, which lit a spark in the hearts of so many more. My Chemical Romance can never truly be put out, it burns bright in the world and in everyone, because it isn’t a band-it’s an idea. (edit, 3 years later) hi, i completely forgot i wrote it, and it’s pretty cringe 😭😭 but i like that some of you guys enjoyed it. i’ve been a fan of mcr for 8 years now, and this was written before i had attempted to take my own life. i have a completely different appreciation for them now, as i truly believe they saved me while i was recovering. i’m only 16 so i was 13 when i wrote this, and it kind of shows. but i wanted to add this here to those who’ve read all of this to say i’m still a huge mcr fan. some information may be a little incorrect, but i’ve decided to keep it like this. a perfect capsule frozen in time. i was going to see them at riot fest, but they fucked our tickets and said we had to get new ones-my mom was not going to pay for more of those expensive fucking tickets (especially because my entire family was originally going, and my mom wasn’t gonna get tickets for my dad again, because… divorce). kudos to you guys who actually read through the entire thing, i’m sure you guys have a big enough hyperfixation on the band to read through the thing that took me barely any effort to write. stay safe, love you guys, and sorry for only using he/him pronouns for gerard, this was before i knew that they preferred he/they).

As someone who only knows a little bit of My Chemical Romance, I'm amazed at how much Mama is basically a more swing version of The Trial from Pink Floyd. Good stuff!

**g note plays** Me:**tears begin to form in my eyes** **eventually cries**

I am literally the least edgy person in existence and I love this album. glad to see more people feel this way.

There's a good reason why I'm 26, they've been broken up for like six years, and this is still my favorite band to this day.

The art, the editing, the presentation, and content was absolutely astounding.

I like it how this released 33 minutes ago, but someone still managed add a comment 'one day ago'

I always imagined “Blood” being years later when the doctor that failed the patient has died. In this time the patient has climbed the ranks of hell and is taking a sort of amusement in the doctor and he trading the roles of power and education, against helpless and terrified. “I gave you blood.” Always sounded to me like a mockery of the doctors tone in “Dead” Even in the albums long silence in “Blood” sort of lends to the years passing, the victim has grown in his knowledge of hell and gained power, then the terrified doctor that failed to save him appears and the roles have reversed. The patient and the doctor in the same pit, regardless of how life was lived.

I dig the ideas here, but I wince any time someone says "emo" while talking about MCR. They may have inspired "emo" artists or kids that identified with that label, but the band always actively rejected that label when it came to their music & artistry. You can call it nitpicking and that's fine, but I think it's a miscategorization. To me, they were a theatrical horror/alternative rock band; heavily story-driven and conceptual.

I've been waiting for this since you did the Green Day one. Totally blown away. Keep doing it, bro. You're gem

I am always amazed by how at the end of these videos about bands I don't really know much beforehand, I have learned a lot, yet I still have a lot of content to listen to and do my own "analysis" on it and get interested in. Great video as always!

Me: finishes a song about gangs, drugs, and murder *Black parade comes on* Me: ah this emo stuff, I’m not in the mood for it Me Literally after the g note: WHEN I WAS

As if the song "welcome to the black parade" couldn't get any more queen, I once saw MCR play it live with Brian May on guest guitar!!!

I listened to this album so many goddamn times that I probably still know every lyric, every note, every beat. But even beyond its initial hype, this is still a very, very good album that was extremely ambitious.

Not to sound like a hipster but when this album came out I was the only one of my friends who realized how amazing and important it was. I know a lot of people who didnt really like it that much because it wasn't like Three Cheers.

People who don’t get a tear in their eye when he yells “Wake Up” in Sleep are built different. That song hits me so hard in the feelings. I’ve literally been late for a meeting because it came on while I was driving and I had to clean my face and fix my makeup from crying. I absolutely love this album. It’s the first album I ever listened all the way through and it’s so special to me. The band is special to me. It’s so nice that within the last year or so I’ve been seeing more content that actually talks about what game changers they are.

I was born in 1967 and musician since 1981. My daughter made me discover MCR and I must admit it's undeniably one of the greatest bands of the last six decades. So underrated compared to their talent. There is energy, invention and many other good things in their work. All the songs I've heard so far are fantastic.

Jesus i had forgot how good is this album! Thank you a lot for this video

I didn't think MCR could make me cry anymore. And then I watched this video

This guy could make a trip to the super market sound like a romantic masterpiece of poetry.

I genuinely think this album doesn't have a single song that disrupts the flow, doesn't fit the theme or just doesn't sound up to par with the others. Can't say that about any other album I know of, not even American Idiot which I'd consider to be one of my favorites. Not a single bad song, a true feat. MCR's masterpiece.

This video is god. But foreal tho, thank you. The connection to In the Flesh is really hitting me hard right now and I cant wait to relisten to this album while I work today!! So many memories, such great music. Truly phenomenal. Thanks for this, it helps to be able to share a video appealing to such widespread interests, and real life, and always looking for something to relate to, to feel to.. anyway, sorry for the ramble... Peace!!

This whole album has several feels moments but good God Cancer is just heartbreaking and genuinely depressing but damn do I ever love it. Also Disenchanted always gives me chills

My chemical romance released The Black Parade in 2006. I was born in 2006. I am now 15 and I have just discovered this absolutely amazing band. This album resonates so deeply with my because for a while, I was horrified at the prospect of death. I still am. I am a Christian, so I believe there is somewhere everyone goes, but the idea that there might only be one place is something I ran into a lot when I was 13. I realized that I don't need to be scared of death, and just need to focus on living for myself. Partially because of this album. Its just all around a good album and whether or not you know what the songs are meant to mean, when you listen to famous last words or Dead!, you should feel something inside of you. I know I've felt it. I just hope you have too

THANK YOU! People see mcr as just an "emo angsty band" but they are so muc more. You say the perfect points about that in this video, talking about old lovers and death seems so "emo" but they way mcr makes puts it into context of the song and album is not emo. Yoh bring up the lost lover and talk about how heart breaking it is and never say one thing bad about them or called them edgy or angsty. So once again thank you for the amazing video

me: yeah i haven't really listened to MCR in a while :/ you know i'm just not into them that much anymore Polyphonic:

got recommended this post-reunion, how are we doing?

I would love to hear more about how their influence survives in music today

It all makes sense. I thought they were just simple songs for entertainment, but now they have major meaning behind them. I used to listen to these songs and it never clicked to me that they were all related. Great video thank you

This one of my favourite albums and I'm so glad you analysed it

Oddly enough, when I was a teen, I enjoyed MCR but they weren't my favorite by any means, even though I'd been listening since 2003. But the older I get, the more I enjoy them. Also, the more I listen, the more I believe *Danger Days* is their best work. It's just as cohesive of a concept album as TBP, but it trades over-the-top production values for a more raw, focused portrayal of the band. _Destroya, Summertime, S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W, Kids from Yesterday, The Only Hope for Me Is You,_ and _Vampire Money_ are some of the highlights of their entire discography. TBP is still a perfect album. But I feel like MCR only got better with their next release.

3:40 omg that part gives me shivers

Now I want to hear the history for their other albums. Three cheers feels jus as emotionally powerful but in an angry way, not a sad way

I've always felt that this album actually talks about depression by talking about death.

If they reunite, they will definitely change the world once more.

THEY'RE BACK

How have I managed to live this long without anybody telling me this album is fucking fire?

I was too young when they were on top of the world. But somehow my friends still listened, and liked them despite being in elementary school.

I love this video! The Black Parade is one of my favorite albums of all time. It helped me so much. thank you for your insight

Please please do a video on my favourite album of all time Pretty. Odd. By Panic! At the Disco They band literally changed genres from emo-punk to psychedelic rock and it was so risky, other bands who do so are usually at the end of careers or have a few solid albums behind them but Panic! had only one album and many fans at the time were confused and angry about their genre change but now many see it as a masterpiece and yet it’s still ignored by many fans. Also it caused the breakup of the band. “Pretty. Odd. The album that risked it all and destroyed a band” I’d love for more people to gain an appreciation for its masterful use of genres and it’s poetic lyrics by the lead guitarist Ryan Ross and how the song writing kinda dwindled after he left the band.

Whenever I hear Welcome to the Black Parade, I start to sing along and the lyrics always gets me teared up. It's such a powerful song.

I've never clicked on a video so fast. Happy Endgame everyone.

Love that you did a breakdown on this album. I REALLY wish Gerard would turn this album into a Broadway show like American Idiot was done.

This brought me back to 2006-2007. Thank you.

I'm gonna come right out and say it, MCR is one of the best bands of the 2000's. I was thirteen when I discovered them, right before my life was turned upside down by the '07 recession, and their music helped me to process the sadness, anger, and anxiety I was grappling with at the time. I think it says a lot that the very first line of the very first song Gerard wrote (Skylines & Turnstiles) was "You're not in this alone." We're really not. My Chemical Romance is always there for us.

Miss My Chemical Romance, great video

I'm a teenager, so I'm not quite on the same boat of listening to these songs days after they came out like a lot of other people. I started listening to MCR in elementary school. It really got me through a lot. From depression to the death of a good friend, music, especially the kind they made, was what got me past it. They tackled death in ways nobody had ever taught me before. MCR and Green Day really introduced me to my political views as well, especially American Idiot. It's not just the edgy scene kid music people thought it was (and even if it was, why make fun of someone's style?), it really helped people.

This album is easily in my top ten all time favorites. Super stoked that you've done a fantastic video on it, giving the album some more visibility!

hearing those snippets, just sent me back to my highschool days.

I love these album dives you do. I can go back and listen to the whole album with a new ear and a familiar love.

Since it came out and I became an MCR fan, I knew this album would be timeless, despite the emo movement dying not long after that. It was because it dealt not only with love, but with death, something we all are going to face. As older we get, we'll lose loved ones, and as they fall, the album and its ideas will resonate in our heads, leading us to revisit that album and reading the lyrics in a different way. Most of the people who experienced the album, now we are in our late 20's-early 30's, so with a different vision in life, we might get the lyrics differently. God, how I love that album

Black Parade was a real treat, because of how much I love The Wall, and Night at the Opera. And every song truly rocks. But to me, My Chem’s greatest work was Three Cheers. Bullets was also amazing, but it’s real dark headspace music, and a bit anxiety inducing, a bit of taking the last of your medication vibes. But Three Cheers really masterfully synced up their morbid vampire sound with foot stomping excitement.

I first heard this album 3½ years ago in 9th grade, and it was instantly my favorite album I'd ever heard and have still ever heard. That is because every song in it is timeless, unlike any other album I've heard where a few songs aren't as good at the hits. This album saved my life. I was going through a really dark time and was very depressed and suicidal off and on for a while, but this album made me feel like I could keep on living. I always took Famous Last Words as a song about overcoming depression, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts.

I've waited for this video forever, as this album is one of my favorites ever. Thank you.

The animation looks really dope and the way you analyzed it was so cool ❤ always looking forward to another upload

I love your work and I've been secretly hoping you will make one of MCR, i cant stop the goose bumps when you were taking about this album, one of the best I've ever heard and so deep, thanks for the video!!

Mcr is such an overlooked band. Many people just say they’re that 2000s emo band. But they’re so so much more

Yasss, thank you for making this video!!🔥

Any thoughts on In Rainbows? An album that you'd expect to be heavily copied, similar to early Radiohead, but so far there really haven't been any other albums like it

just recently discovered MCR and the black parade, can say its one of my personal favorites :)

This is truly amazing. You understand music in such a deep context. Your videos are so entertaining. Its awesome to see MCR getting the recognition they deserve.

you really picked some choice lyrics. some that made me break into tears from just a half a second or so, like “you should’ve raised a baby girl, i could have been a better son.” such an emotional album

I wish I knew how it feels to have written this masterpiece.

this is beautiful. the visuals are awesome, and i love how you explained the story.

That little excerpt from Mama is instantly reminiscent of The Trial in The Wall

I'm so glad you did TBP. That and American Idiot are my most favorite albums from childhood, and you covered both! Thanks! I don't why MCR gets so much hate

I love the style of your videos every video is so unique

This video made me feel that G note way much stronger than before for the first time, holy shit

This is your greatest work of art ever. Thank you.

The Black Parade is My Chemical Romance's best album! I love My Chemical Romance so damn much that they'll always have a very special place in my heart!

This was a great video! I'd love to see you do a similar one about Danger Days

Stellar video, Poly. Thanks so much for making this one!

You cannot believe how long I've been looking for a cohesive video about this album. Thank you so much for making this video.

It's basically The Album. I've never grown weary of it, not once. It's been out 13 years. It's incredible still how each of the first 3 albums build upon each other as phases of growing up and this was somehow the end result. They wanted you to know that holding on to the past will lead you safely and securely to death and after this they released Danger Days and the Conventional Weapons... Compilation? And, those were the signal of change. Not to mention every song is a straight banger and they finally had a drummer that fit the profile. Outfits remind me of Star Trek:TNG though. Star Trek: The Black Parade- Captain Way and his team of rag-tag warriors are trapped in the black hole at the center of the universe. Way guides his team through a 2 year tour of duty culminating in riches, both of experience and growth. Unfortunately, the Enterprise is in danger when Commander Briar departs the ship and Captain Way expresses his desire to become an author and use his missions as influence for his characters and maybe some solo work on the side, gathering up remains of a now forgotten "New "Wave" of communication. Will the Enterprise survive the Black Parade? Or, will it it's captain age 20 years in a span of 7, and it's cyborg, Iero, go on a journeyman's trip through different crews searching for the glory he had when he delivered the bullets, raised his glass, thrice and entered the Black Parade? Find out on Star Trek: TBP!!

Thank you for this amazing and loving video about my favourite band.

Wendigoon’s theory on how the story plays out is my favorite tbh

this was such an interesting video! i loved how you dug deep into the undertones of all the songs and the visuals were quite captivating.

Man just when I was feeling nostalgic for MCR I see this video in my feed, YAY ME

Yo throwin shade at angelfire at the end there lol. Great vid my dude.

Beautifully made and informative as always. Best taste in subject matter on youtube.

Dude. This is the best breakdown I have ever seen. Thanks man.

One of the best if not the best concept album I’ve ever heard.

gerard way is brilliant

I literally listened to this album on repeat at work today! Was wondering when you'd make a video on this album, great one at that! I surely didn't have the same viewpoint about the albums story so interesting to say the least

I happened upon this video the week of the album's anniversary and am watching it now knowing the band will do a reunion show soon. I wanted to thank you for keeping the love alive. Truly this album was a masterpiece of its time and knowing some talented people like yourself continue to make projects about it long after the band broke up... I'm just so happy. I hope MCR know their impact today and always.

This is my favourite album of all time I'm glad that you have it the appreciation it deserves. So long and goodnight MCR❤ -just another mcr fan

One of the most defining albums of my middle school years. Holy shit, thank you so much for this video. I always look forward to your uploads and this one was incredible, lol.

I love this video so much, thank you for making this!

Amazing video as always!