BURBANK, CA (Reprise Records) - Reprise Records'
My Chemical Romance took hold of the Number One spot this week on Mediabase's Alternative and
Modern Rock Chart with their single, "Welcome to the
Black Parade," from their forthcoming album, "The
Black Parade," which is due for release on October 24th. On iTunes, an EP featuring the single and a 45-min track-by-track album walkthrough is currently the number one album. "Welcome to the
Black Parade" also shot to the top of the UK singles chart, scanning over 34,000 units. On Saturday, October 21st,
My Chemical Romance will perform for their first time on NBC's "Saturday Night Live."
The band - which includes singer Gerard Way, guitarist Ray Toro, bassist Mikey Way, guitarist Frank Iero and drummer Bob Bryar - have been writing songs that appear on "The Black Parade" since the release of their platinum 2004 album, "Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge," which has sold more than two million copies worldwide. The band recorded "The Black Parade" this past spring with noted producer Rob Cavallo (Goo Goo Dolls, Alanis Morissette), intending to make it the album that this incendiary, volatile band will be remembered for. As NME proclaimed, "Long live My Chemical Romance, the outrageously camp, loud and righteous new kings of the world!"
"'The Black Parade' is MCR's whole raison d'etre rolled up into one mega-decibel calling card, replete with heroes, villains, terror, sadness and the unblinking conviction to put it all out there." (Alternative Press) The title refers to the premise of the record, which is an epic album about mortality. "I'd like to think that when you die, death comes for you however you want," says My Chemical Romance vocalist Gerard Way. "It's your strongest memory from childhood or adulthood. For the main character on this record, The Patient, his strongest memory is his father taking him to a parade when he was a child. So when death comes for him as he's dying tragically in a hospital, it comes in the form of a black parade."
The video for "Welcome to the Black Parade," directed by Samuel Bayer (Smashing Pumpkins, Nine Inch Nails), is already in Big 10 Rotation on MTV, the Elite 8 Rotation on MTV2 and in Magna Cum Laude Rotation on mtvU. The band recorded a $2 Bill show that will air on both MTV and MTV2 on October 23rd. At Fuse the video is already in the highest possible rotation on the network, and they will be on 7th Avenue Drop the week of October 23rd. In the UK, the clip is the most played video on all the music channels in the country. My Chemical Romance is also Artist of The Month on Music Choice for the month of December. AOL will launch their Sessions with My Chemical Romance on October 20th.
Praises in the media include Alternative Press Magazine hailing the album as the "Most Anticipated Album of 2006," Blender tapping it as "Album of The Year" and Kerrang! Magazine saying "The Black Parade" "might make them one of the biggest bands in the world."
See "The Black Parade" in select cities:
OCTOBER
24th New York, NY Webster Hall
25th Boston, MA Axis
26th Chicago, IL House Of Blues
29th New Orleans, LA Voodoo Music Festival*
31st W Hollywood, CA House Of Blues
* festival set
www.mychemicalromance.com
www.theblackparade.com
