I started translating it on Friday, but couldn't finish it before I went to Paris, so if it's not translated by the time I get home tonight, I can finish it :)
It is the story of an album, that came to nothing, and the story of a band who’s fighting against its outer appeal: My Chemical Romance are reinventing themselves as Pop-Art-Band, as futuristic Mad Maxes with funky laser weapons in a universe of quotes, cross-references and pierced meta levels. The result is Danger Days: The True Lives of The Fabulous Killjoys - an album, that wouldn’t be the same, if My Chemical Romance wouldn’t have failed at their first approach.
First ApproachAt the end, it is a bit pointless still: to listen to songs, that nobody will ever hear again. And to talk about them: nobody can verify if what is said is true, if that’s how it was meant. But that’s how it is when you raise the alarm too early. It is the end of November 2009. The sun is filtering through the parking lot in front of the Sunset Sound Studios at the Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Here, My Chemical Romance are mixing their new album. Or, at least, what they think will be their new album. Seven songs are
( ... )
Is the optimistic tone of your new songs a way out of misery? So that your fans don’t get stupid thoughts again... I don’t think any parts of The Black Parade could have possibly lead someone to do those things.
Apparently, it did... Than the interpretation was wrong. Which is also the media’s fault. They were the ones characterizing the album as overly dark and despaired, when - in reality - it wants to express hope, most of all. It is hard to comment on this specific case - even if I would want to. I can only say that it was never my intention to give anyone ideas like that.
And the new album? Is not in any way a reaction to this case. If anything, it’s a reaction to how our band is seen.
You grew up in a vivid scene in New Jersey, played in basements, released your debut at the small label of a friend - and then you became successful with big steps, became the poster boys of an entire scene. Is it important to move away from that again?Yes, and thankfully there are enough people who were willing to take our position, who were
( ... )
The second approach of the interview is also about the new songs, the ones that no one will ever hear. It is about the reinvention of My Chemical Romance. To Gerard, the songs are a reaction to themselves. The declared goal was to rebel against themselves. We didn’t want to stage anything bigger than it already was. We’ve revolted against the wrong things in the beginning - we should have revolted against a genre, a marketing strategy. From early on, we got connected to things we didn’t want to be connected with, we didn’t identify ourselves with. Gerard hopes that the new album is stadium rock. He’s not afraid to loose his edges. “I have learned with time that those things are created with performance only. Without melody, without dynamic it is just dull and boring music. And being boring doesn’t have anything to do with having edges. Of course we could write dirty basements songs but who’d want to listen to those
( ... )
Second ApproachEnd of September 2010, about ten months after later. Three days ago, a trailer for the new My-Chem-Album got released online. It’s name: Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys. The trailer features four protagonists: Gerard, Mikey and the two guitarists Frank Iero and Ray Toro. There’s no sign of black parade uniforms, instead My Chemical Romance look like four Tank Girls, the image gets enhanced by a flamboyant Rollerboy. In addition to that, there’s action in the style of Mad Max vs Power Rangers, a flair of 70s-Roadmovie like in Vanishing Point and the crue, raw vision of Grindhouse films. The reinvention of the band is completed. The light-shunning moth turned into a loud butterfly - firing laser guns
( ... )
Last time we’ve met, we were able to listen to seven songs - neither of which have made it to the album. What happened?
Last time we met, we were just doing the mixing for the album. Ray was at home, taking care of family issues. In the meantime, Frank and I tried to make the album sound like the one we had in mind. But it didn’t work. I am only a writer, I couldn’t explain what was wrong in terms of music, but it didn’t sound right. We had to start over again and talked with our producer Robert Cavallo about how we could approach this again. I had written a song in the desert, called Na Na Na, and whilst we were still working on the old tracks, I said: Let’s try record this one! We went into the studio and within one night, the song was finished. That’s when we realized we had to start over again with the whole album - even the songs we’ve already finished.
Last time we’ve met, you said that the new album is going to be a reaction on how you - as a band - are perceived. What would you say to that now?It can’t be about what other
( ... )
think that's it :) i'm sorry i'm a bit rusty when it comes to translating, and i don't particularly like Visions writing / interviewing style (it's too pretentious, in my point of view) but i hope it's read-able.
The worst would be: to make music for people who don’t like you, just so they will like you. Should I be tougher? Or more punk? Will you like me then? Not with me. That’s what I had problems with with the last recordings. They were good, but not outstanding. And the one thing I had to criticize about them was that I was coming up to meet other people’s expectations too much. We wanted to maintain our ground as a rock band. And we’ve only managed that with Killjoys.
Thanks a lot! :D I kinda liked how they went back to have thing were almost a year ago, then back to the present. I gotta say, though, I I'd definitely LOVE to hear those punk songs. I'm excited for the album, definitely, but I was also looking forward to that first attempt. :P
p.s.: Gerard is clearly in charge - everyone else is just a support actor. Those parts annoyed me. Yeah, sure, Gerard's the one who talks the most, but saying it that way is rather disrespectful for the other guys...
No worries, I just translated the main part, though. There's this piece on the side where they analyze his hair and tan and fingers and I'm just too WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK about it to read it again.
That's where (and why) I stopped translating it in the first place, it's rude and wrong. But that's the overall vibe I got from the interview, as if... being "mean" would get you a better interview? Also the stuff about meta-levels in the video, just... they are so pretentious, I usually avoid buying the magazine (also I am not used to reading German anymore, lol)
Yeah, some magazines just make you facepalm all the time, painful to read. And...they wanna sound "mean" and then they talk about hair, tan and fingers? Reeeeeally badass. *rolls eyes*
I usually stick to english magazines like Kerrang! or Rocksound cause they mostly focus on the music and the band itself, whereas this one made some wrong and provocative statements that I can't agree with (like, how they insinuate that Gerard's lyrics challenge fans to commit suicide in the first question, what the fuck even, I'm sure getting your interview partner to defend himself does not create a warm atmosphere).
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It is the story of an album, that came to nothing, and the story of a band who’s fighting against its outer appeal: My Chemical Romance are reinventing themselves as Pop-Art-Band, as futuristic Mad Maxes with funky laser weapons in a universe of quotes, cross-references and pierced meta levels. The result is Danger Days: The True Lives of The Fabulous Killjoys - an album, that wouldn’t be the same, if My Chemical Romance wouldn’t have failed at their first approach.
First ApproachAt the end, it is a bit pointless still: to listen to songs, that nobody will ever hear again. And to talk about them: nobody can verify if what is said is true, if that’s how it was meant. But that’s how it is when you raise the alarm too early. It is the end of November 2009. The sun is filtering through the parking lot in front of the Sunset Sound Studios at the Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Here, My Chemical Romance are mixing their new album. Or, at least, what they think will be their new album. Seven songs are ( ... )
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I don’t think any parts of The Black Parade could have possibly lead someone to do those things.
Apparently, it did...
Than the interpretation was wrong. Which is also the media’s fault. They were the ones characterizing the album as overly dark and despaired, when - in reality - it wants to express hope, most of all. It is hard to comment on this specific case - even if I would want to. I can only say that it was never my intention to give anyone ideas like that.
And the new album?
Is not in any way a reaction to this case. If anything, it’s a reaction to how our band is seen.
You grew up in a vivid scene in New Jersey, played in basements, released your debut at the small label of a friend - and then you became successful with big steps, became the poster boys of an entire scene. Is it important to move away from that again?Yes, and thankfully there are enough people who were willing to take our position, who were ( ... )
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Last time we met, we were just doing the mixing for the album. Ray was at home, taking care of family issues. In the meantime, Frank and I tried to make the album sound like the one we had in mind. But it didn’t work. I am only a writer, I couldn’t explain what was wrong in terms of music, but it didn’t sound right. We had to start over again and talked with our producer Robert Cavallo about how we could approach this again. I had written a song in the desert, called Na Na Na, and whilst we were still working on the old tracks, I said: Let’s try record this one! We went into the studio and within one night, the song was finished. That’s when we realized we had to start over again with the whole album - even the songs we’ve already finished.
Last time we’ve met, you said that the new album is going to be a reaction on how you - as a band - are perceived. What would you say to that now?It can’t be about what other ( ... )
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Also:
The worst would be: to make music for people who don’t like you, just so they will like you. Should I be tougher? Or more punk? Will you like me then? Not with me. That’s what I had problems with with the last recordings. They were good, but not outstanding. And the one thing I had to criticize about them was that I was coming up to meet other people’s expectations too much. We wanted to maintain our ground as a rock band. And we’ve only managed that with Killjoys.
LOOOOOOOVE. *_*
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p.s.: Gerard is clearly in charge - everyone else is just a support actor.
Those parts annoyed me. Yeah, sure, Gerard's the one who talks the most, but saying it that way is rather disrespectful for the other guys...
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That's where (and why) I stopped translating it in the first place, it's rude and wrong. But that's the overall vibe I got from the interview, as if... being "mean" would get you a better interview? Also the stuff about meta-levels in the video, just... they are so pretentious, I usually avoid buying the magazine (also I am not used to reading German anymore, lol)
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I'm not used to reading in Spanish anymore. xD
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