Now that My Chemical Romance (MCR) has announced their much-awaited return to the Philippines nearly twenty years after their last concert, diehard fans are looking back not just on the band’s greatest hits, but also the deep cuts that solidified MCR’s cult legacy.
But which deep cuts are better than others? Which songs never got the spotlight they deserved but still hit just as hard, if not harder, than the big tracks? It’s time to revisit the early aughts emo scene with some of the most underrated MCR tracks that deserve another listen.
‘Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)’ (2010)
The band’s Danger Days era doesn’t get enough love, especially among fans who were more partial to their earlier emo rock era. But that doesn’t mean Danger Days: The True Live of the Fabulous Killjoys didn’t bring with it some of My Chemical Romance’s most underrated anthems, all of which still deserve a spot in every fan’s rotation. “Na Na Na” sets the chaotic scene for the entire rock opera-chaos of the album, throwing us straight into a post-apocalyptic California where renegade Killjoys roam the desert, laser beams scream in the distance (with a chorus of “na na na”s in the background), and vocalist Gerard Way leading the charge.
‘Cancer’ (2006)
While most My Chemical Romance fans can never hear a G note play without immediately thinking of “Welcome to the Black Parade,” “Cancer” starts off with a somber major chord on the piano and leads into one of the band’s most heartbreaking ballads. As one of the shorter tracks on their seminal album Welcome to The Black Parade, “Cancer” packs a punch with Way singing his mournful goodbyes from the perspective of a terminally ill patient. Production-wise, it’s minimalist, featuring a lone piano, soaring strings, and a steady drum beat in the background, but Way’s vocals carry the song’s full emotional weight and leave us misty-eyed by the end of the song.
‘Demolition Lovers’ (2002)
There’s something so unsettling about “Demolition Lovers,” the final song on I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love. The rest of the debut album sees the band experimenting with angry fast-paced basslines, mosh pit-worthy drum beats, and vocals that shift into screams, but “Demolition Lovers” stands apart as a more somber love song. The moments of screamo, shredding guitars, and driving percussion are contrasted with haunting melodies and some of the most edgy lyrics the band’s ever put out. What’s more emo than “Like scarecrows that fuel this flame, we’re burning forever and ever”?
‘Give ‘Em Hell, Kid’ (2004)
My Chemical Romance goes hard on its breakup songs, especially on Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. “Well, I’m a total wreck and every day like the firing squad or the mess you made,” Way sings with a bite, backed by Ray Toro, Frank Iero, and Mikey Way’s gritty guitars and Matt Pelissier’s driving drums. The energy to “Give ‘Em Hell, Kid” is relentless, and its angry intensity captures the desperation of a relationship on the edge.
‘Blood – Hidden Track’ (2006)
The surprise of discovering “Blood – Hidden Track” on The Black Parade doesn’t hit like it used to, thanks to streaming platforms listing the song and spoiling the reveal for most listeners. But back in 2006, when the album first dropped, it was a different story. This quirky little marching tune wasn’t listed on the CD’s tracklist, so after fans soaked in the final moments of the album, they were caught off guard and delighted when “Blood” quietly kicked in about a minute and a half after the last track ended. Running at a little over a minute, the song features absurd ghostly wailing in the background, an upbeat banging of whimsical major chords, and a final light-hearted ditty about…well, blood.
