Danger Days: True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys

My Chemical Romance's new album is a big difference from their very successful 2006 album, The Black Parade. This record is a lot more in your face and is not a concept album per say. Although there are the Killjoys through out the album.

The album is a post-apocalyptic transmission from 2019. The album is very different from anything My Chemical Romance has ever put out because not only does it have immense amount of color in it but it's very much upbeat and happier. The album is glam-punk and more poppy than any of the past three albums. There are several ideas that My Chemical Romance makes you're aware of, ones that they believe in. Standing for what you believe in and being yourself no matter what. These are themes that run through their newest album.
The album starts with an introduction to the world of the Killjoys.

"Look Alive, Sunshine" is Dr. Death-Defy, the moderator of this transmission and he in the opening piece is introducing us to the world we are coming into. With the new MCR phrase, "The future is bulletproof, the aftermath is secondary."

That piece goes right into the first single that came off this new record, Na Na Na Na Na(Na Na Na) which is a super catchy piece with a great scream at the top of your lungs chorus. This song also further introduces us to the world of the Killjoys. Gerard screams, "Shut up and sing it with me. Na Na Na Na Na Na Na..." Pieces of this song are mad at Hollywood, and pieces are about blowing the pop world up and just having rock and roll in their city of Battery City. One of the best lines is "Everyone wants to change the world but no one wants to try. Wanna try. Wanna try. Wanna try now. I'll be you're detonator." This is a powerful statement made by Mr. Way, as he observes our world and what people have tried to do and failed. The guitar riffs by both Mr. Iero and Mr. Toro are just showing what's to come in the rest of the album.

The next song is Bulletproof Heart. This song talks about 'running away from here.' In other words, running from the world and the country. But this song is in 2019 saying that the Killjoys are going to be fighting people and are going to 'do the talking with our laser beams.' This good song has a catchy pre-chorus. This song also makes a reference to God and the papacy. So this is kind of a song about being pissed off at the church and ultimately God. "Are you gonna be the one left standing? Gravity don't mean too much to me. This world is after me. After you." This phrase is Mr. Way talking about the country and the band how they will be the ones standing after everything that is supposed to happen does.

Sing is one of my favorite songs on the album, not only does the opening riffs catch your attention right away, but the lyrics are very relevant. This song is about making a difference and 'tomorrow' being the day to be ready for. This song is a protest song as well, because as Mr. Way says, "Sing it out for the world that will hate your guts." So it goes back to a message from My Chem themselves, never be afraid to be yourself and doesn't matter what everyone else thinks of you. Also, this is about making sure your voice and opinion are heard. "Sing it for the world." Let yourself be heard by the big people in the world.

Planetary(Go!) is a song about Hollywood and paparazzi and it's also kind of a self-reflection on how big MCR is as a band. The opening lines, "There might be something outside your window but you just, never know. There could something right past the turnpike gates, but you'll just, never know." If you get past the slight dig at the Hollywood, this song is a fun song to dance around to or to jump up and down in unison with the rest of the Killjoys at an MCR show. This is one of those songs that you can either take at face value as a fun party song with a great beginning and great lyrics or you can see what Mr. Way and the rest of My Chem are talking about, the world we live in. The best way to describe that is the two verses before the second chorus and the chorus itself. "Ladies and gentlemen. Truth is now acceptable. Fame is now injectable. Process the progress, this core is critical. Faith is unavailable. Let's become incredible. Please understand that, I can't slow down. I won't be waiting for you./I can't stop now, because I'm dancing/This planet's ours to defend./Ain't got no time to pretend./ Don't f*** around, this is our last chance." These two verses are a stab at Hollywood.

The Only Hope For Me Is You is about Mr. Way's newest role, a loving husband and a father. Gerard is not the only one in the band who's recently become a husband and a father, everyone in the band is married and Frank has twins. This song is essentially a post-apocalyptic love song to his wife. Which actually is rather sweet and kind of adorable. But again this is a great and beautiful song. There's also a reference to the 9/11 attacks that Gerard witnessed. "Where were you when, all the embers fell? I still remember them covered in ash, covered in glass. Covered in all my friends. I still remember the bombs they built." These are powerful lines talking about watching the Twin Towers fall and the glass and people that fell when they started to collapse. The whole song is Gerard saying that his wife, Lyn-Z, is his only hope to live and motivation.

The next piece, Jet Star and The Kobra Kid/ Traffic Report is an intermission where you hear Dr. Death-Defy talk about what's going on in the current situation in 2019. Jet Star and The Kobra Kid, in other words Ray and Mikey, have been eliminated by BL/ind. They've been 'ghosted, dusted onto Route Guano.' Dr. Death Defy says "Here's the traffic..." and then it goes into the Japanese in the beginning of the next song.

Party Poison is a song that's in your face from the start, with the loud guitar and drums. This is basically an in-your-face party song. But it also goes along with the 2019 theme. Gerard goes back to the good versus evil that shows up in the two videos out from this album. BL/ind is a fictional company that wants to the Killjoys dead. I personally love jumping around to this song, because it just makes you want to jump up and down and scream the lyrics.

Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back was going to be the title track if My Chem hadn't totally revamped the album. This song has more of the 2019 feel to it, with the lyrics about protecting people they love and themselves. This song is more about the MCR characters called the Killjoys. The Killjoys are getting ready to fight BL/ind. There is also a more literal meaning than the fight between the Killjoys and BL/ind, which is fighting for what you believe in and not changing what you stand for people. This is also a running theme through out this album. "We're never leaving this place alive. But if we sing these words we'll never die.” This song predicts the future that Fun Ghoul and Party Poison won't make it to the end. But the deeper meaning behind this is that you're legends live on even after you die.

Next song is S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W. This song talks about what the post-apocalyptic world actually would look like. After the nuclear winter that supposedly occurred, the people in 2019 are getting out of their 'holes' that they were hiding in and seeing what the landscape looks like. This song is also about how changed the world is now because everyone in the band now has new responsibilities of taking care of their families. This song has a double meaning, it means something in real life and it’s the next 'bad guy' that the Killjoys are fighting. It is one of the best songs on the album in my opinion.

Summertime is a song to Lyn-z, Gerard’s wife. It’s actually a sweet song about running away together from society. “In the dark and out of harm, you can even run away with me. Anytime you want.” I love this line because he says he’s willing to leave everything just to be with her. He seems like he would be such a good husband and father. Connecting to the Killjoys, this song is about the boys and their love interests running away from the desert and the post-apocalyptic world.

Destroya is a song about the Killjoys all of the sudden thinking that they don’t know how to defeat the bad guys because they realize they are the bad guys. So there really isn’t a way to defeat the bad guys. In real life, Gerard is talking about you not really knowing who you are and what you believe in. The theme of being who you want is huge with My Chemical Romance and their fans, and how sometimes it’s okay to not agree with the majority belief if it’s not logical and sound to you. “I don’t believe in God. I don’t believe in luck. They don’t believe in us. But I believe the enemy.” So he’s talking about how he knows people with the beliefs he doesn’t like don’t believe in him and his beliefs they think he’s wrong.

The next song is The Kids From Yesterday. This song is Gerard and the band reflecting on their childhood and how there are a lot of things from their generation coming back for the next generation to have and deal with. “We are the kids from yesterday.” Yesterday meaning a few decades ago and it’s also about their kids, and how they are the new generation to discover what the previous generation was about. There are also references to not giving into societal pressure to be someone you’re not. This theme is actually another “lesson” that My Chem likes to talk about. The Killjoys are looking at how everything has changed since they were kids and wondering how the world is going to be in the near future.

Goodnite, Dr. Death is the last piece in the Killjoys adventure on this album. The transmission is ended and the Killjoys have mostly been killed or escaped. The next part is the American National Anthem which actually is quite controversial because it is just thrown in there, and doesn’t go but it quickly becomes static and noise.

Vampire Money is about bands jumping on the wagon, so to speak, and being on the Twilight Saga soundtracks to make a quick buck. He’s making fun of them saying that by being on those soundtracks is giving into pop culture and lowering their standards to be on those CD’s. My Chemical Romance is basically saying they’re not giving into the vampire craze and are saying that they are above making some 'vampire money.' In my opinion it is an awesome song and pretty funny because they are saying what a lot of people think about good rock bands giving into being on the Twilight Saga soundtracks.

Overall, this album deserves 5/5. MCR really delivers with their new album and I can't wait for more videos from this album. Anyone who doesn't have this album already should go get it. It's most definitely worth the $9.99.