Absolutely Amazing! - My Chemical Romance - The Foundations of Decay - Old Guy Reaction 

Since the band broke up, Gerard (the singer who writes MCR's lyrics and comes up with the concepts behind their records and songs) returned to a career in art, specifically writing comic books. He actually went to college for comic book/animation art and it wasn't until he witnessed the 9/11 attacks on the way to work one morning that he had something of an existential crisis and realized he needed to make music instead ("he was there / the day the towers fell"). He also released some solo music (extremely different to MCR; it was like Britpop, Blur/David Bowie-inspired stuff). Gerard's little brother, Mikey (the bassist, with glasses) went through an extremely difficult time in rehab with alcohol and drugs after feeling absolutely lost when the band first broke up, but eventually came through it and has ended up dabbling in a few different creative things. He also has solo music out, and collaborated on a comic book as well as doing some guest-acting. Frank (rhythm guitar, the short, heavily-tattooed one) has been super active in a series of bands that have come and gone. He literally has not stopped playing music and touring since MCR broke up, with an insane number of different punk and hardcore lineups. Ray (lead guitar, the tall guy with the long curly hair) also released a solo album but has been a lot quieter than the others. They've had shitty luck with their drummers stealing money from them and setting their vans on fire and being not great people, so they've been through a few of them now, but those four are the core MCR members. All four are married with children now, and in interviews Gerard has spoken about how the decision to end the band back in 2012 came from realizing it was beginning to feel soulless and crushing with the constant pressure to continue growing and touring and making money ("it's much too late / you're in the race / so we'll press and press 'til you can't take it anymore") instead of the pure expression of creative release he had felt in the beginning. He realized during what would end up being their last live show that he was "faking it" onstage, which despite his incredible theatrics, he had never done before: his performances had always been authentic and from his heart. Gerard and Mikey have both spoken openly about their issues with depression, drugs, alcohol, eating disorders and anxiety, and their mental health was in tatters at the time of the band ending which it sounds like was a major deciding factor as well. With that context, a lot of fans are really hopeful about this song as a signal that with the separation (“with time and age / he turns the page") they've had a chance to heal ("you must fix your heart") and they're ready to be a band again ("get up coward"). Sorry for the wall of text, but you asked us to tell you in the comments what they've been up to lol!

Also the lead singer gerard made the comic book "the umbrella academy," and got it sold to netflix in the years after the band disbanded. The drummer that was with them on their last tour in 2012 was fired because he was stealing from the band, he wasnt the same drummer you in any of the videos though. Needless to say they spent the last 9 years productively and its real blessing that theyve come back swinging.

I don't understand how this song didn't explode as HUGE hit. It's SO FUCKING GOOD! I won't say it's my favorite MCR song because they have SO MANY good ones, but this is just fantastic.

i saw them live a few days ago and it was easily one of the best nights of my life. they still have the same spark that attracted people to them twenty years ago, the crowd was absolutely phenomenal and the performance was top notch of course. it didn't really sink in that i'd actually seen them live up until a few hours ago and i was like holy shit they're back and i went to see them holy shittt. definitely worth waiting for them for almost ten years. if you get a chance to see them live take it.

The lyric “he was there the day the towers fell” is a nod to the lead singer Gerard being there himself in 2001 and seeing the World Trade Center collapse on 9/11. And seeing that himself prompted him to start the band the next month.

also yes, all the band members are the same. Gerard Way (the singer) and Mikey Way (the bassist) are brothers, Ray Toro (lead guitarist) was their old friend from school and Frank Iero (rhythm guitarist) joined them soon after the band was created so most of them go way back. they didn't break up because of any drama or argument and remained friends so that probably contributed to how well they work together years later.

Took me a bit to appreciate this new sound but it has since easily become a beloved member to my playlist.

And the lyrics are about My Chemical Romance as a band, and I hear that so much, the way they were pushed to just do more,do hits, do all what the record company wanted. ( Gerard Way is a wonderful storyteller)

it fills me with such joy hearing that's you're proud of them; gerard has been saying during the live shows recently how much fun he's having being a band again and it's feels me with pride knowing they're back and at a good place and can drop such a great song after so long

I went to see them 3 weeks ago in Milton Keynes (U.K.). It was so amazing!!! They’ve been my favourite band since 2002. I hope you get to see them live soon!!! (And if you didn’t know, Gerard, was on a ferry to New York, when 9/11 happened. Seeing it was what made him decide to take a chance on music instead of becoming an artist) x

They opened with this one at Riot Fest Chicago two weeks ago. Great performance of it live. Over 100,000 people singing along to every song was crazy.MCR kicked major ass!!!

So excited you got to react to this one! We are so proud of these guys too 🥰 if you haven't, go through and find some of their B side stuff for their older albums. A lot of them are perfection!

I have been holding on to tour tickets for 3 years and I am SO excited that there will be new music when I see them in September!

Cant wait for their next new song, im glad you have a new love for them. 🙏

I have watched and rewatched your my chem reaction videos, I love your takeaways :) I'd love to see a reaction to Thank You for the Venom! I don't see this one done often and I think you'd absolutely jam to it!

Loved the video thanks guys

The lead singer put out a album in 2014 and a lot of the songs were collaborations with a member of the band. I don't remember all the songs on it but I do remember getting down with germs, no shows, millions, action cat, Hazy shade of winter,

This song is an absolute MASTERPIECE!!

Your reactions are so positive dude! I think you'd love Teenagers as well by the way. They're touring the US soon so you should definitely see them live if you can. They put on an incredible live show, and they open with this track.

Awesome reaction cool song!

You guys are so cute. I'm so happy watching you love this, because my heart is MCR aaaaalll the way,lol. I see them live next Tuesday in Sweden, saw them once in 2011. All of them has been very busy with different projects since the .........(can't say the word😏) and the level of genius in everyone of them is redic. Will not make a list of their individual accomplishments during b... , but someone will. The only thing I'm seriously worried about for next Tuesday is my 50y old ass might die of a heart attack during consert 😫🇸🇪😘😘

They are touring for a little while now it has been in Europe mostly and they have them performing on RU-vid but beware there not quite as intense live as they used to be but are still just as loved.

I thought it was flies swarming on a body but there were so many flies you couldn't see the body.

My Chemical Romance is back!!!

Ya dude this song seriously blew my mind away, it's soooo good!

this video made my day ❤

I adore this! I saw them live two weeks ago for the first time in 11 years and , having seen them four times, this was the best! I think this is just a teaser of what is to come, they're teasing us with visuals and its just like 2010 all over. They open the gigs with this btw lol

The official lyrics recently got revealed in, interestingly enough, the Rock Band game. [Verse 1] See the man who stands upon the hill He dreams of all the battles won But fate had left its scars upon his face With all the damage they had done [Pre-Chorus] And so time with age It turns the page Let the flesh Submit itself to gravity [Chorus] Let our bodies lay, mark our hearts with shame Let our blood in vain, you find God in pain Now, if your convictions were a passing faith May your ashes feed the river in the morning rays And as the vermin crawls We lay in the foundations of decay [Verse 2] He was there, the day the towers fell And so he wandered down the road And we would all build towers of our own Only to watch the roots corrode [Pre-Chorus] But it's much too late You're in the race So we'll press And press 'til you can't take it anymore [Chorus] Let our bodies lay, mark our hearts with shame Let our blood in vain, you find God in pain And if, by his own hand, his spirit flies Take his body as a relic to be canonized, now And so he gets to die a saint But she will always be the whore [Breakdown] (You look stressed out!) Against faith (Cage all the animals) Against all life ('Cause the message must be pure) Against change (You can wander through the ruins) We are plagued (But the poison is the cure) [Bridge] You must fix your heart And you must build an altar where it swells When the storm it gains, and the sky it rains Let it flood, let it flood, let it wash away And as you stumble through your last crusade Will you welcome your extinction in the morning rays? And as the swarm it calls, we lay in the foundations [Outro] Yes, it comforts me much more Yes, it comforts me much more To lay in the foundations of decay Get up, coward!

This is exactly how I reacted. Amazing.

This song is based off on a more personal experience of the band and reflects what they feel career wise and emotionally versus in the past of them translating music into a fictional concept like their past music even though Gerard puts some personal inspiration in fictional work.

Bit late to the comments, but you should really react to one song of each of their solo work because its really interesting to see where they went artistically while they were apart and how that informed this song... it feels way less like a sudden maturing and way more like a continuation when you do :) It's also eye opening for their whole career as a band because they all pull from such different styles. Some of my favourites are: Gerard Way (mcr singer) - Brother from Hesitant Alien his solo project but all his solo stuff is beautiful. How It's Going To Be is also really good. Mikey Way (mcr bass) - I Lied from Electric Century which he co-writes and plays bass for. Frank Iero (mcr rhythm guitar/backing vocals and screams) - - oh god trying to pick my favourite Frank song is like trying to pick my favourite child... but if i had to I'll Let you Down (there's a great acoustic version if you search I'll Let Down Cellar Sessions) or The Resurrectionist from Parachutes Ray Toro (mcr lead guitar/backing vocals) - Isn't That Something from Remember the Laughter which he played every instrument on, except drums, and mixed and produced himself and he has some amazing guitar solo's on that record

"He was there the day the towers fell." Gerard was there and witnessed the Twin Towers collapsed.

They have been collaborating with each other on and off for years they just didn't get the band back together until 2019

you guys need to react to The Warning band. They adore My Chemical Romance too.

Also do the band "panic at the disco" please?

Please react to I Never Told You What I Do for a Living

No dad MCR was never emo. Don't let those people tag the band.

okay so they broke up march 22nd 2013, basically they all just went their separate ways they still made music. Gerard way the lead singer he went on to release his debut album as a soloist hesitant alien which was a bit more brit pop but still rock. He also went back to comics and his comics actually became a Netflix show called the umbrella academy. frank iero the rythmn guitarist he also made music with many different bands, people, did interviews, etc. Ray toro lead guitarist also made music and also released an album called remember the laughter. Mikey way, bassist joined a band called electric century and also made his own comic called 'collapser'. They secretly got back together in 2017 to just jam out mostly but they announced it halloween, 2019 and had a comeback show! sadly, the tour was postponed due to covid but at the moment their next stop is Australia! They did have a EU/UK and North American tour leg.

Tablet acting up sorry. Dasher happy together, and then a little more than a year before they got back together baby you're a haunted house. I kind of discovered them a few years ago so i'm no expert either. Hope this helps tho.

And Gerard was there when the towers fell on 9/11. That was the day MCR was born

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