Danger Days: The true lives of the fabulous Killjoys. Like what can I tell you about this one? It's amazing. Everything is amazing. The story, the videos, the music, the vibe, the feelings, the emotion, the tension, the ride, everything. Spot on. I don't know who wrote it, might of been Rolling stones that My chemical romance are so sad they could make your cold goth heart bleed. Well I mean, the dark clothes, the dead men, the cancer, the blood and misery…I get the point but also not really, it's not all dark and bleek in their music also.
And then you get Danger Days. Spoiler alert I always
wanted to dress up as Party Poison, I mean full on, clothes, props, the whole
deal. Never got to it though. But it would make up for a great photoshooting. Anyways,
Danger Days comes out, Gee dyes his hair this crazy perfect bright red which
(don't kill me) was my favourite look on him. Red is just such a Gerard Way
colour. It's pretty stabby you know? And this album isn't sad, this album is more
than anything pissed off, and vibrant, just like Gee's hair.
Also what's hugely different is his voice. Gee sounds way
cleaner and more polished on this album. I know that was actually an issue for
some fans who prefered the rougher, edgier style of ''Three cheers for sweet
revenge'' so then this energetic power pop aproach was a bit of a let down. To me
though, comparing albums is stupid, a band can grow and develop their sound and
it can sound different. Sometimes better sometimes worse but that's why
experimenting is important. Nobody wants the same thing over and over and over
again. Like Bon Jovi, singing the same songs for 20 years. Don't get me wrong
they're great songs, better than any new one, but for real, can you not? For
MCR this album is definately a better sounding experience. Which doesn't mean
that this album is better than say the Black parade but simply that it's an
amazing album on its own.
Basically what Danger Days is is an idea. If you watch
music videos to Na Na Na and Sing, they're a story. Set in the future a band of
outlaws fights an evil corporation called Better living industries. The video
looks almost apocalyptic and what is just really fucking brilliant is that if
you pay attention you can see it written on a god damn battery ''California
2019''. When did the band reunite? 2019 and where was the first reunion show? California.
Like, I can't. Everything these cryptic assholes do has a meaning, and
suddenly it's two AM and you're reading about Salem witch trials and the summer
and winter solstace and how that could be incorporated in their state of mind. Don't
look at me funny, I'm on to something here. Also of course in case you don't
know in 2013 Gee published a comic that continiues the story from the album. And
you know what? I never got to read it. Sigh.
Oh my god you guys! You know what literally hit me just
now? Danger Days is now set in the past no longer the future. Oh my god.... Right the
album. So it starts off with ''Look alive, Sunshine'' and you know what? I
handpainted this entire thing to a back of one of my tshirts once? With really
annoying tiny letters that took me ages to perfect. What you hear in Look alive, is an old
radio transmission and a message from the ''host'' Dr. Death Defying. Most of
what he says can actually mean a lot of things or nothing at all, the part that
I love most is obviously ''listen up, the future is bulletproof, the aftermath
is secondary, it's time to do it now and do it loud, Killjoys, make some
noise''. Seems like such a powerful message really, this is a band we grew up with
and though this is not a new album the message still stands if you ask me, it's
our time, we should make some fucking noise.
Look alive fades into ''Na Na Na Na'' and the fact that
there's anyone who hasn't heard this song at least once is crazy to me. It was
the first single, it's catchy, it's fun, it makes you sing along. And that
bloody car! I mean I always wanted one of those and then they put it in their
video? Painted like that! I find that personally offensive. This song is
probably what sets the entire albums mood. It shows you that this will be a
different ride than any of the previous were and also that it's going to be a
fun one.
Then there's ''Bulletproof heart'' which is a total pop
punk kinda song, fun, cheery, perfect. It's a bit extravagant, a bit dramatic
and most importantly an escape from some undefined restrictive presence, some
demons if you will, and shit can't we relate? We're all just trying to get away
from our demons.
''Sing'' is next, which is part two of Na Na Na Na. The car
is back, the boys are back and so are the ''pigs''. First of all how dare you
shoot Gee like that? And also who looks that bloody hot while being shot? Defys
laws of nature if you ask me. But the song is easily one of my favourites, the
easy begining which slowly builds up to one of the best choruses ever. So sing
along boys and girls, ''sing it for the boys, sing it for the girls, sing it
for the world''.
''Planetary GO!'' UH yes please. It's like what hope sounds like you know. It's what I feel hope would be should it be recorded, in those very lines ''I can't slow down, I'm undefeatable''. Perfection.
''Planetary GO!'' UH yes please. It's like what hope sounds like you know. It's what I feel hope would be should it be recorded, in those very lines ''I can't slow down, I'm undefeatable''. Perfection.
Things then calm down with ''The only hope for me is
you''. It's a beautiful love song don't
you think? It's something very personal, it's Gee basically putting his heart
on a sleeve, honestly telling the world what's his only hope ''you'', meaning
''her'' in this case, and just so we're clear, his marriage is probably one of
the cutest things out there, right next to whiskers on kittens and unicorns. Don't
fight me on this, you can't win.
''Summertime'' is actually my favourite on this album. Actually
they all are but maybe this one is my top one. Vocals are soft and tender and
completely clean, the chorus is a flying melody that feels like it holds the
power to fly you away where ever you want to be and that that ''you can run
away with me, anytime you want''. Oh my god. It's like a punch in the heart in
a good way. I love this song, and yes I would indeed run away with him anytime
he'd want. Fun fact. The line starts with ''you can write it on your arm''. So on
a gig once Gee had ''run away with me'' written on his neck with a sharpie and
his wife had ''anytime you want'' written on her arm. Believe me my heart
exploded into rainbows. How cute is that? Where can I find me a guy who would
be this silly cute with me? Ugh.
Y'all know what follows next right? Fucking ''Destroya''
which to this day I always say ''great song, you are just cowards''. True story.
Destroya is a great song, the whole pounding drum thing and sneering vocals,
blow away any trace of slow ballads, with Gee singing he only believes in the
enemy. Kinda makes sense doesn't it? Lovers will let you down, as well as
family, friends, but you can count on your enemies always hating you. This song
is like, another Rocket queen. The moaning! You guys I die. It was so funny
people expecting the song on the reunion and that big question ''will Gee moan
on stage during Destroya'' lol, Gee is no coward, how could you even
doubt him? And it sounded every bit as sexy as it did years back. Like for
real, listening to this song is like HOT.
''Goodnite, Dr. Death'' is a sign off from the radio
host, who sends us off with a cheery warning telling us that we're basically
all going to die. Lovely. ''That big ball of radiation we call the sun will
burst you into flames if you stay in one place too long, that is if the static
don't get you first''. What does that mean? Like fly into the sun (Icarus
much?) and risk getting burned or do nothing and you're fucked anyways? I think
it's a metaphore for everything you do really, that you should take chances and
risk something, else you really are doomed. Doomed in the same wicked ways,
addiction, wrong partner, wrong job…whatever else is haunting you. The message
ends with the strains of ''The star spangled banner'' and you know how weird
that is when the album plays in your family who doesn't like the US one bit.
''What the fuck are you listening the anthem for?'' really, I'm not, it's just
MCR being MCR.
The album ends with ''Vampire money'' which is Gee pissed
off at everyone. At fame, at people, junkies, Hollywood, and mostly himself for
being this famous. And aparently rich and famous acording to Gee drive ''Volvo
cars''. Hah. what's more important here, to this great song, is the intro, and
what's even more important that on the reunion show for the first time ever
when Gee asked ''How about you Frank?'' Frank replied ''Oh I'm there baby'' and
I died. Like dead on the ground. You sneaky Italian rat you. You know exactly
what you're doing don't you?
Other songs featured on here are ''Jet Star and the Kobra
Kid/ Traffic report'', ''Party poison'', ''Save yourself I'll hold them back''
and ''S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W'', well that first one isn't a song but a ''traffic
report'' the rest are all songs, great songs just like the rest of the album
and if I go on about how great, amazing, perfect this album is, then this post
will never be done, and let's face it, I have a life to get back to (she said
while typing around a fat cat on her lap and a jar of Nutella with a spoon
jammed in it). You guys put this record on, live it and love it because it
deserves nothing less. You know I do….
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