33/4?al Romance sounds like what Gameface could have been if they grew some balls, stopped singing about making cupcakes and started getting aggro and singing about guns, death, murder and homicide for the cause of love. This is some damn fine music from the radioactive power plant marshes of New Jersey. MCR dish it out in bitter spoonfuls of bad medicine and I even think they mean well when meting out their blunt lessons on the subject of life and death and - oh yea that other thing that comes in between - love. MCR's new major label debut, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, has a metal/post hardcore sound that I have to admit even has radio-friendly possibility.

Case in point, "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)," sounds like it was born on the radio. With the line, "It's better off this way. For all the dirty looks. The photographs your boyfriend took.
Remember when you broke your foot jumping out the second floor, I'm not okay." This combined with a catchy ass tempo will surely make for something you should be expecting to hear on the radio sooner than you think, especially with the backing of Reprise records and the Warner group.

MCR also uses a lot of dark humor to prick up the ear of the unsuspecting. For example, on "Hang 'em high" Gerard Way offers up the lines, "Grab your six gun from your back. Throttle the ignition. Would I die for you? Well here's your answer in spades. Shotgun sinners, wild-eyed jokers. Got you in my sights!" and "The angels just cut out her tongue. Call her black Mariah. Would I lie to you? That Girl's not right in the brain. Mass convulsions strike the choir. By the grace of God." MCR's sarcastic overtones leave you furtively giggling at even the most sadistic lines - not to mention some of the song titles (which are on par with Reggie and the Full Effect and Death by Stereo.) When I saw the titles, "You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us In Prison" and "It's Not a Fashion Statement, it's a Fucking Death Wish," it is with a certain amount of fiendish glee that I must give these guys there much deserved badass kudos.

Since this is MCR's major label debut I'm sure they used some Windex and Armor-all to shine up the details and trim up a few of the more ragged edges - but it all sounds good to me. Let's just hope they can keep it going and save the world with their black-apparel, black hair, and black humor.