Album Review: My Chemical Romance - 'May Death Never Stop You'

Let's cut straight to the chase, the people who care about this record, already had it before it came out. And so it is with Greatest Hits compilations, sure it is a good way to sum up a bands career, a nice bit of nostalgia, reflection, a walk down memory lane, which offers snapshots of the journey. Sure, it's great and convenient, but for fans, there isn't much that will come as a surprise.

In the case of My Chemical Romance, the playlist for their greatest hits compilation 'May Death Never Stop You,' tells us where the band think they hit their stride with most tracks coming from 2006's 'The Black Parade'. To be fair though, hey are correct, that album is amazing.

The fifteen previously released tracks are spread fairly evenly across the four albums, from the group's raw beginnings in 2002 with 'I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love,' to their final, more experimental, outing in 2010, 'Danger Days: The True Lives of The Fabulous Killjoys.'

All, and we mean ALL, Greatest Hits records need the unreleased track, the new single, the final official offering from the group until they release a b-sides record or something in a couple of years time. In this case it is opening song, 'Fake Your Death'. A positive little piano number that seems like the type of song that would play perfectly over a montage of the band's career. It takes its cues from 'The Black Parade' sound but is essentially very un-My Chemical Romance. The simple stomping clap-along beat, the sweet vocal harmonies and guitar phrasing, which makes it seem more like an Everclear track thanks to the simple chord structure.

To "sweeten" the deal even further there are three demo tracks tacked on to the end of the record, which are truly horrible. We know that is the point, perhaps to show where the group came from, but no one is going to opt to listen to these tracks more than once for a brief chuckle.

While we doubt we have seen the end of them, My Chemical Romance truly were a great band. This compilation of mainly singles proves it. The band wrote good songs, they were diverse and clearly challenged themselves with each release and should be applauded for a quality career.

1. Fake Your Death
2. Honey, This Mirror Isn't Big Enough for the Two of Us
3. Vampires Will Never Hurt You
4. Helena
5. You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison
6. I'm Not Okay (I Promise)
7. The Ghost of You (extended version)
8. Welcome to the Black Parade
9. Cancer
10. Mama
11. Teenagers
12. Famous Last Words
13. Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)
14. Sing
15. Planetary (Go!)
16. The Kids from Yesterday
17. Skylines and Turnstiles (demo)
18. Knives/Sorrow (demo)
19. Cubicles (demo)