10 Albums That You Need To Listen To More Than Once

There was a common belief surrounding the emo scene in the late ‘00s that these bands were all complaining about nothing. Even though there were some genuinely pissed off songs that were filling the airwaves at the time, there were countless other bands that were just complaining about having to get up to go to school in the morning, which wasn’t exactly welcomed by the old guard of rock and roll. My Chemical Romance were a different breed of rock band though, and The Black Parade gave us something much more than just some whining across an album.

For the traditional rock fans, this was practically a return to the glory days of rock and roll, as the band cranked up the Marshalls and went for a sound that felt closer to a band like Queen than Sunny Day Real Estate. Once you get past the raw sound of the record though, these guys have a story to tell, and it might be one of the most macabre concept albums ever made.

Staying true to their emo roots, much of the Black Parade involves a character named the Patient spiraling through his final days on Earth after being diagnosed with cancer, and each track explores a different side of his pain, from coming to grips with family on Mama to surrendering to the idea that he might be going to Hell at the end of it all on Sleep. Even though it’s easy to get swept up in the bombast on first listen, every song feels like a separate scene the second time around, finally bringing the curtain to a close on Famous Last Words as the Patient finds the strength to move on from this life no matter where he lands. It might not be the happiest of journeys to go on, but there’s no other album that will make you feel more lively when talking about death.