In music, there are a handful of ideas that can be attempted that simply have to be approached with extreme ease. At the top of that list, blaring warning with caution tape, orange school crossing vests and bright flashing lights are concept albums. Done correctly, these albums can project your career into the musical history books, leaving you with a legacy the like of Pet Sounds, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars and Dark Side of The Moon. However, done improperly or approached in a clumsy and unprepared manner you’re left with Chris Gaines, Garth Brooks alter-ego and the awful Tori Amos album, Strange Little Girls. 
At first glance, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys sounds as twisted and complicated as a Quentin Tarantino movie. Set in California in the year 2019, the band The Fabulous Killjoys (who are the alter-egos of My Chemical Romance) set out fighting against the evil corporation Better Living Industries, otherwise refereed to as BL/IND. Throughout the quest, the group is guided by pirate radio DJ Dr. Death Defying. Each of the album’s songs depict stages of their journey. Overall, the concept seems like a pretty brilliant idea. However, with that said, My Chemical Romance is still skating on thin ice.
This is not necessarily because they’ve made a bad album. Actually, they haven’t. In reality, the album is a rather refreshing listen. It’s creative in its comic book theories, structured strongly in its songwriting and deep in drawing on emotions the band has become know for draining. It is however also quite different conceptually from their previous two successes. In a fickle market where fans and critics are quick to stand over artists with their CSI black lights searching for the slightest finger print of reason to bitch, a shift in direction is one of the quickest ways to kick open the door to unwanted and harsh judgments, even if those conclusions are unjust.
Yet, regardless of clinging to a new image (or pretending to be a whole new band) on Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, My Chemical Romance also manage to visits their roots. The album’s first single “Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)” kicks off closer to punk than dark emo, reacquiring My Chemical Romance with their first single “I’m Not Okay (I Promise).” “Bulletproof Heart,” the album’s sophomore track gathers the glitter rock sound that took the band from side stages at Warped Tour and left them headlining rooms the size of Madison Square Garden. It also simultaneously (while possibly unintentionally) pays homage to David Bowie and the other godfathers of glam. However, “Sing” and “The Kids From Yesterday” add an almost U2 arena rock, dance-pop feel to the album at times. This rounds out the blatant fact that this band has not only sustained the momentum of their previous success, but has grown along the way. It is becoming exceedingly difficult to find ways to write off My Chemical Romance as just another radio band. This is because they aren’t.
In closing, Danger Days’ success is in the hands of the population. The album is laid out for success. I have little doubt the band will form a tour to match. However, success can only come through acceptance. That will be determined mostly by the manner in which the band’s fans grasp and digest the concept of the roller coaster ride the band is about to take them on. It could go either way. However, if the kids manage to overcome their fears of change and take the time to wrap their head around the story they should quickly find that the path they’re about to take is one of a great adventure. Done correctly it could be one they’re telling their kids about in years to come.
