My Chemical Romance

My Chemical Romance (formed 2001)

Current members: Gerard Way, Mikey Way, Frank Iero, Ray Toro and Bob Bryar.

My Chemical Romance's debut album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love was released on Eyeball Records in 2002. Shortly afterwards, they were signed to Reprise Records, who released their major label debut, Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge in 2004. The album sold over one million copies and propelled them to commercial success.

My Chemical Romance: The Early Years

About a week after the 11th September terrorist attacks in New York (2001), Gerard Way and drummer Matt Pelissier decided to form a band. 'Skylines and Turnstiles' was an expression of Gerard's feelings about September 11th. Ray Toro was asked to join the band because Gerard struggled singing and playing guitar at the same time.

Matt Pelissier's attic was the venue in which the band held their first recording session, referred to as 'The Attic Demos.' Gerard's younger brother, Mikey, loved the songs so much, he dropped out of college and joined the band.

My Chemical Romance met the band Pencey Prep whilst signed to Eyeball Records. When Pencey Prep broke up, their lead vocalist / guitarist, Frank Iero, joined My Chemical Romance, just days before MCR's album was recorded.

My Chemical Romance: The commercial breakthrough

My Chemical Romance signed with Reprise in 2003. After a major tour with Avenged Sevenfold, the band started to work on their second album. The album went platinum in less than a year.

During this period, My Chemical Romance replaced Pelissier with Bob Bryar. There were issues with Pelissier's ability to keep time with the rest of the band and rumour has it that Ray Toro insulted him by asking him to play with a metronome. Some fans wondered why Pelissier was dismissed and not Gerard Way, who was taking a large amount of drugs at this time. However, Gerard has now been clean and sober since August 2006.

In 2006, the band released a 2 DVD / 1 CD set titled Life On The Murder Scene. The package chronicled the band's history, as well as containing their music videos and some live performances. An unofficial DVD, Things That Make You Go MMM! Was also released the same year but contained no footage of the band, or any of the music. Instead, it contains interviews with people who knew the band before they found fame.

My Chemical Romance's third studio album was entitled The Black Parade, released in 2007. Whilst filming the promotional video for 'Famous Last Words,' Gerard Way and Bob Bryar incurred injuries, forcing the band to cancel tour dates.

The world tour for The Black Parade featured Muse, Thursday and Rise Against as support acts. The frontman from the band Reggie and The Full Effect, James Dewees, was announced as keyboardist / synth player for the tour and is now an official band member.

They replaced Jay Leno as one-off presenters of his The Tonight Show and played 'Famous Last Words' at the end of the show, with flames bursting behind them.

Along with Placebo, Mindless Self Indulgence, HIM, Saosin, and Taking Back Sunday, MCR were part of Linkin Park's major 'Projekt Revolution' tour.