Two decades ago, GRAMMY–nominated rock band My Chemical Romance released their debut studio album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love. Now a hallmark of early aughts emo, MCR's first release was anything but a typical emo outing.
Released on indie label Eyeball Records on July 23, 2002 and produced by Thursday frontman Geoff Rickly, Bullets was unconventional in a number of ways. MCR's debut was raw and melodic, blending horror punk and post-hardcore with punk — a combination that, on the surface, was a step away from the emo stylings of contemporaries like Taking Back Sunday and the Used. Yet Bullets' popularity rocketed MCR to emo star status, redefining the genre along the way.
MCR would build on Bullets's headbanging mix of punk, pop, emo and post-hardcore on subsequent groundbreaking works Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge and The Black Parade. Yet the group’s debut — which was recorded over 12 days, less than three months after they formed — was released at an auspicious time in rock music. Popular nu-metal bands like Korn and Limp Bizkit were reaching their crescendo, leaving rock fans hungry for a different sound. They would find it in emo, short for "emotional hardcore" music.
The events that led to the band’s formation are, in part, responsible for their heartful message of "togetherness during trauma" — a throughline in their discography that originated on Bullets. After witnessing the September 11th attacks on the way to his Cartoon Network internship, future MCR frontman Gerard Way decided to use music to process the trauma and penned his first rock song, "Skylines and Turnstiles," which would become a standout track on Bullets.
"I was in Hoboken, which is right across the Hudson River," Way said in 2007. "There were 400 people and me. Right in front of us, those buildings went down. It was the biggest f—ing neutron bomb of mental anguish you’ve ever felt."
Way retreated to his parents’ basement and recorded a barebones version of "Skylines," which he shared with high school friend Matt Pellisier. Pellisier saw potential in the track and agreed to play drums on a professional demo. To round out the lineup, they recruited guitarist Ray Toro — a mutual friend who was working toward becoming a film editor — and Gerard’s brother and future MCR bassist, Mikey, who coined the band’s name. (Mikey was inspired by an Irvine Welsh book called Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance.)
The quartet’s demo captured the attention of indie label Eyeball Records, which offered the band a record deal and encouraged them to hit the studio as soon as possible. A couple of days before they were set to record Bullets, former Pencey Prep guitarist Frank Iero joined the MCR lineup but would only play on two tracks —"Honey, This Mirror Isn't Big Enough for the Two of Us" and "Early Sunsets Over Monroeville"— because of time constraints.
The melodic, post-hardcore album kicks off with a minute-long instrumental called "Romance" — a cover of a classical guitar piece "Romance Anónimo," perhaps nodding to a similar-sounding instrumental from the 1978 film, Dawn of the Dead, a favorite of the band. The breezy, bass-forward "Early Sunsets Over Monroeville," references the classic zombie flick and raises the question: If your lover becomes a zombie, will you take them out?
Meanwhile "Honey, This Mirror Isn’t Big Enough for the Two of Us," a catchy, hard-rocking song about a breakup and substance use, and the frantic yet melodic "Vampires Will Never Hurt You," hint at the future of the band’s sound. Both songs, which are also featured on the band’s greatest hits album, May Death Never Stop You, would easily be at home on the group’s critically acclaimed sophomore effort, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. The album’s closing track, "Demolition Lovers," is a fan favorite with heavy influence from Thursday which follows two lovers on the run (a la Natural Born Killers) who meet a tragic fate.
While the album offers fans a glimpse into the band’s potential, tracks like "Drowning Lessons," "Cubicles," and "The Best Day Ever" are not quite as memorable as their standout counterparts. Alternatively, Bullets' purest post-hardcore offering, "Our Lady of Sorrows," is a sonic departure from the rest of the album’s sound; it’s aggressive, fast-paced and closes with a rare, ferocious metal scream from Way.
First emerging in the '80s with bands like Embrace, Dag Nasty and the Rites of Spring, emo had just entered its third wave in 2002. Due to the timing of Bullets' release, the acts they toured with, and their growing popularity, MCR would be lifted up as emo figureheads. But the band’s music didn’t really align with many of the subgenre’s notable elements: emotive, angsty lyrics, gang vocals, as well as pop-influenced chord changes and song structure.
Gerard Way didn't consider emo to be an accurate descriptor — or one that gave them much platform in their early years. "Emo bands were being booked while we were touring with Christian metal bands because no one would book us on tours," he said in 2007. "Unfortunately we get lumped in with [bands] that are considered emo and by default that starts to make us emo. All I can say is …put the records next to each other and listen to them and there’s actually no similarities."
The frontman’s convictions are justifiable; MCR’s sound is a blend of horror pop, glam, punk and post-hardcore — more akin to AFI and the Misfits than Taking Back Sunday or Brand New. Unlike other bands with the emo label, My Chemical Romance’s lyrics don’t primarily focus on distress or self-loathing, but they are emotive. While they played up the horror aesthetic, MCR has always aimed to comfort fans and give them a sense of community. Bullets backs up Way’s stance.
MCR and Bullets did indeed impact their community, influencing a slew of acts' sound and style. The band’s innovative visuals for "Helena" and "I’m Not Okay" paved the way for Panic at the Disco’s early high-concept, cabaret-inspired music videos. U.K. group Creeper are direct descendants of MCR, complete with theatrical performances, punk riffs and a horror-inspired aesthetic.
My Chemical Romance’s “records have stood the test of time, and that’s the magic,” says Creeper’s Will Gould. “That’s what so much music in this genre fails to do – it fails to last more than five years. Those My Chemical Romance records will last forever."
Pop-punk band State Champs also cite MCR as an early influence. "They weren't just a rock band, they were a rock band that didn’t look ordinary," says lead guitarist Tyler Szalkowski. "They were a rock band that’s very comfortable being different, and that’s very inspiring to see them have so much success from just being themselves."
While third wave emo ended in the late aughts, My Chemical Romance's horror-inspired aesthetic, theatricality, impassioned vocals and surging sound continues to resonate. MCR’s strong artistic vision continues to attract new fans (the band released their first song in eight years this May) while inspiring genre-spanning artists such as Sleeping With Sirens, Famous Last Words, Lil Peep, Post Malone, Yungblud, Twenty One Pilots, and more.