My Chemical Romance have surprise-released their first original music in eight years, a new single titled The Foundations of Decay.
Commencing with a somber piano line touched with gritty synth atmospherics, the six-minute track incorporates everything in the emo rock playbook, including subdued and contemplative verse sections, anthemic choruses, a headbang-inducing breakdown, and some tasty dual guitar harmonies courtesy of Ray Toro and Frank Iero. Check it out below.
While The Foundations of Decay is the band's first song since Fake Your Death – a track from 2014 compilation album, May Death Never Stop You – it's unclear at this stage whether this means more MCR music is on the way.
Back in 2014, frontman Gerard Way said Fake Your Death was the “last MCR song”, calling it the “final fully realized collaboration between the members of the band”.
“What was not so obvious at the time was that the song was, and would serve as, a eulogy for the band, though I should have known it from the lyrics,” he said in an interview (per NME). “I think internally I did, as I felt an odd sense of sadness and loss after hearing back the words on top of the music.”
My Chemical Romance reunited in late 2019, six years after they announced their disbandment in March 2013. The band played just one show together before the Covid pandemic forced the postponement of a string of other comeback dates.
But almost three years later they're set to hit the stage again, with a run of UK dates commencing May 16 in Cornwall and wrapping up May 30 in Glasgow.
The quartet will then cross the channel for a host of European shows in France, Italy, Germany and more, before heading to the US for the best part of the rest of the year.
For a full list of dates, head to My Chemical Romance's website.
