“It is not a band– it is an idea.”

Frontman of My Chemical Romance Gerard Way stated this in his letter to fans of the 2000’s alternative band following their 2013 break up. </h3>

If you were or are a teen who falls under the umbrella of alternative subculture, chances are you listen to My Chemical Romance, and if you loved them as much as many people did, then you were most likely heart-broken when they broke up. Well, turns out all the wishful thinking of My Chemical Romance’s fan base, often called the MCRarmy, came to fruition with the Halloween announcement that the band would be reuniting for a Los Angeles performance. 

My Chemical Romance is an alternative band, often labeled as being “emo,” that began producing music in 2002 with the release of the EP Like Phantoms, Forever and followed this up with their first full length album I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love. The band’s lineup currently consists of Gerard Way as lead vocalist, Frank Iero as rhythm guitarist, Mikey Way as bassist, Ray Toro as lead guitarist, and Bob Bryar serving as drummer prior to his 2010 departure from the band.

 Over their 12-year career, My Chemical Romance had four different studio albums and a number of EPs and a few collection albums, with their most well-known album being 2006’s The Black Parade. The band announced their break up in March of 2013, coming three years after the release of their last album Danger Days, with a heartfelt message on their website. The actual message included text paying tribute all the band had achieved and how much the past 12 years meant to its members. 

Fans of this band have been speculating about a reunion since they broke up with one prevalent theory, which circulated on social media site Tumblr, referencing Gerard Way’s desire to follow the path of the band The Smashing Pumpkins, who split up and came back after a six year break, which would land My Chemical Romance’s return in 2019. Another point of speculation is their last studio album’s story being based in the year 2019. The album Danger Days has a plot line that features a story about a post-apocalyptic landscape with the members of the band’s alter-egos, called killjoys, and their attempts to dismantle the evil mega corporation Better Living Industries. The music videos chronicle these stories and the plot line was adapted into a comic book by Gerard Way.   

The bands return began on the 31st of October with activity returning to their social media platforms on places like Instagram and Twitter. It began with the posting of a series of images each having a word: “clarity,”  “courage,” “sacrifice,” and “devotion.” The images themselves featured a candle, a sun-esque image, a hand, and a droplet, each featuring imagery inside the minimalistic photos. This all culminated in a final photo featuring the bands acronym and all the aforementioned pictures. Following all this cryptic posting was an official post announcing the bands reunion concert, which had a call back to their first EP. 

Tickets for this show went on sale on the first of November, selling out in a matter of minutes, which stands as a true testament to My Chemical Romance ever-devoted fanbase. The band members have stated that they didn’t expect such a warm welcome after all these years. 

Music-based magazine AltPress has stated that they believe that My Chemical Romance are going to be doing a tour following their LA performance. This comeback has led to much speculation from fans.  Many are pondering online about whether this comeback means new music or future tours, but only time will tell. Until then, plaster dark eye makeup around your eyes, embrace your inner emo, and sing “Teenagers” until your lungs give out.