A record inspired by tragedy, romance, loss, and reality. Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge was released on June 8, 2004, as the second studio album by My Chemical Romance.
Following the release, the New Jersey punk band was shot into the mainstream light. Released two years after their first album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, Revenge received lots of attention due to how polished the record was compared to their first.
The Concept
With a running time of 39:33, the album is short and sweet. But why do we continue to listen to this MCR album 17 years later?
The answer is simple, Revenge is an absolute masterpiece. The album follows a captivating storyline. Frontman, Gerard Way himself, described it as a “pseudo-conceptual horror story” in a 2004 AP interview. The album conveys lessons of life and loss, particularly with one single that experienced great success.
‘Helena,’ The Masterpiece
‘Helena’ is a track that was written by Gerard Way and his feelings about the passing of him and Mikey’s grandmother. The video is monochromatic with a splash of vibrant red, similar to the fashion of the record’s whole aesthetic. Totaling at over 137 million views at this time of this article (and surely counting), ‘Helena’ is a tribute to acceptance. Accompanied by a video full of emotion and storytelling, the release of ‘Helena’ was a huge turning point.
The song paved the way for the album, which was followed by a fast-paced love tragedy of loss and acceptance. Though the story of the album follows Way’s narrative, each track allows the listener to make their own meanings. This makes the album so enjoyable to listen to over and over again!
17 Years Later And We Still Can’t Swim Or Dance
Released as a video in 2004, ‘I’m Not Okay (I Promise)’ remains the lead single from the album. My Chemical Romance opened their 2019 reunion concert with the iconic song. As seen from recordings, the audience screamed the words to them for the first time in years! The whole opening is definitely a goosebump moment. Safe to say that the song will continue to hold a special place in our hearts!
‘The Ghost Of You’ is a slower track full of spacey strumming and a heavy chorus. Though the album follows a theme of forbidden lovers, the video was depicted differently. With scenes inspired by Saving Private Ryan, the video follows a story involving uncertainty and loss. Though heartbreaking, both the video and song convey an incredibly important message.
Hidden Gems
While the band released four of the thirteen songs as singles, no track falls short. ‘Give ‘Em Hell, Kid’ clocks in at just over two minutes but packs a punch. With Mikey’s opening gritty bass solo, the track is full of energy and has the crowd jumping every time!
Each track has its own story that connects to the concept of the album itself. The lyrics are beautifully written and complemented by the band’s incredible musicianship.
“Like A Bullet Through A Flock Of Doves“
‘You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us In Prison’ is a track that we can’t help but rock out to. It’s seriously one of our favorites from My Chemical Romance. We get our fix for some of the heavier parts. Bert McCracken of The Used was enlisted for the screams that backed Gerard’s vocals in portions of the song.
However, in live concert versions, guitarist Frank Iero took some of those backing screams and we’re still obsessed with it. And, do we even have to mention Ray’s solo? The track is so dynamic and full of so much crowd energy when played live.
A Driving Force
Another thing to note is that both Ray Toro and Frank Iero are guitarists who are different in their own ways. Both players have their specialities that perfectly complement each other. We see their collaboration shine in songs like ‘It’s Not a Fashion Statement, It’s a Deathwish,’ and ‘The Jetset Life Is Gonna Kill You.’ Toro and Iero are truly a force to be reckoned with, especially with the split playing that could be heard through headphones.
With My Chemical Romance, we get songs that allow us to appreciate every member of the band. With high-energy drums accompanied by gritty bass lines and brilliant riffs, we can’t express enough how special the band truly is!
Both guitarists also have their fair share of backing vocals during their live performances as well. Ray harmonizes with Gerard beautifully in songs like ‘Cemetery Drive’ and ‘Thank You For The Venom.’ You can see their live vocals in the Venganza! performance recording, which was an encore performance for their 2007 Black Parade show in Mexico.
Appreciating Their Energy
We also highly recommend you check out their performance at Maxwell’s in 2007 which is in The Black Parade is Dead! [Full Concert Video]. Mikey’s bass is so pronounced and we’re able to take time to appreciate his craft!
Honestly, while you’re at it, just take a couple of hours to watch the full video in its entirety. The first show centers around their performance as The Black Parade in Mexico. The second show was recorded in a smaller venue and is a mix of songs from different albums. The mixing is brilliant for both portions of the concert video.
With headphones on full blast, take a moment to appreciate how My Chemical Romance is live! Each member is so incredibly talented and we’re able to see it so clearly with their concerts.
Revisiting The Classic
As we celebrate the birthday of this special album, take a minute to appreciate how timeless this record truly is. Though it’s a shorter one, there’s no doubt that some of the band’s strongest tracks are on Revenge. We didn’t cover every song from the record but note that each track contributes to the story in its own way. Give the album a full listen for yourself, you won’t regret it!
From their overall musical brilliance and storytelling to the incredible vocals, this album will always hold a special place in the hearts of the MCRmy!
See You In 2022!
My Chemical Romance announced their return in 2019 and everyone freaked out, including us. Check out an article we wrote about it here!
Their reunion tour has been postponed until 2022 due to the pandemic but that just makes the wait even more special. In the meantime, warm up your voices and get ready to have a great time with fellow fans. We can’t wait to see them perform again!
So, what are your favorite tracks off of Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge? Will we see MCR on the reunion tour? Chat with us in the comments down below, tweet us @TheHoneyPOP or talk to us on Facebook or Instagram!
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