My Chemical Romance's <I>The Black Parade</I>
Photo: Warner Bros./ Reprise

Join the Black Parade: By now you probably know about My Chemical Romance, their new LP The Black Parade and the saga it consists of, which revolves around a central character called the Patient. If this is enough to get you marching to the record store, be sure to look out for the limited-edition box-set version of the release. It comes in an 11-by-6-inch skinny container, debossed and wrapped in black velveteen. Inside you'll find a 64-page paperback with singer Gerard Way's drawings, making-of-the-album notes and more. Take that, bonus DVDs.

Watch ( to see John Norris interview the band on the eve of the release. MCR talk about the influences behind The Black Parade, comparisons to Green Day and overcoming the conflicts and crises that almost tore the band apart.

John Legend made a name for himself just two years ago when Kanye West snatched him up for his G.O.O.D. Music label, but since then he's grabbed just about every award except the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his Get Lifted LP. He's hoping for more accolades with Once Again, which features "P.D.A. (We Just Don't Care)," "Where Did My Baby Go" and "Each Day Gets Better." Alas, there are no enhancements or special editions planned, but production by West, Will.I.Am and Raphael Saadiq will please those who have been jonesing for John.

Seventies Revisited ... Again: From fashion to hairstyles to cover songs and guitar techniques, young rock bands have been trying to re-create the '70s incessantly for the last five or 10 years. But the Walkmen are taking a more specific and original approach with their retro rebirth: They are retreading a fiery path intoxicatingly blazed by John Lennon, Harry Nilsson, Ringo Starr and Keith Moon on a party-and-experimental-music binge they indulged in when Lennon separated from Yoko Ono in 1974. The Walkmen aren't redoing the resulting album, Pussy Cats, note-for-note or even song-for-song, but rather channeling the spirit of the original project and birthing a batch of their own originals. The album co-stars Ian Svenonius (Weird War, the Make-Up), Quentin Stoltzfus (Mazarin) and Alessandra Maria (Tomorrow's Friend), and they dabble with more instruments than you could name.

Current Affairs: "The future needs these wasted seeds" is the key line in "Taking Back Control," Sparta's new single. Frontman Jim Ward has said the lyric refers to children who are in war-torn areas and is his attempt to follow Neil Young's lead in criticizing the Iraq debacle. But the song title itself could refer to Ward's handle on his band: With a series of staff changes since the band formed five years ago, he's hoping new guitarist Keeley Davis (Denali, Engine Down) will bring the band back under control. A special edition of Threes will boast another political item: a short film called "Eme Nakia," which revolves around drummer Tony Hajjar and his flight from the Lebanese civil war.

A New 'Nightmare': It'll be easy to spot the reissued soundtrack to Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas" — like the theatrically re-released version of his film, it's in 3-D. The second disc to the set should also have moody-rock fans seeing triple: It features fresh slabs of macabre music by Fall Out Boy, She Wants Revenge, Marilyn Manson and Fiona Apple, as well as demos from composer Danny Elfman. The only thing it's lacking is a new track from Helloween.

Ten One-on-Ones: The Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals are duking it out on the baseball diamond this week, but there are 10 less obvious contests happening in the music racks this week:

The "Masters of Horror II" soundtrack vs. the "Saw III" soundtrack: Fear-inducing directors take turns at helming episodes of Showtime's "Masters of Horror" series, and accordingly, a procession of grisly bands shares the soundtrack honors, including Children of Bodom, Hatebreed, Lacuna Coil and the scary-sounding but ultimately goofy Eagles of Death Metal. That soundtrack faces off against the one for "Saw III," which has even more blood-curdling contributions from Lamb of God, Mastodon, Meshuggah and big names Avenged Sevenfold, Static-X and Disturbed.

Children of Bodom vs. Children of Bodom: CoB are making three appearances this week: They contribute to the "Masters" soundtrack, plus carve up a new LP, Chaos Ridden Years: Stockholm Knockout Live, and DVD of the same name. The double-CD is crammed tight with 18 songs, including "Follow the Reaper" and "Clash of the Booze Brothers," but the video has much more material: all nine videos the band has ever made, two documentaries, a photo gallery and more.

Freddie Cruger vs. Horrors: Which is more terrifying? Well, neither, really: Cruger's Soul Search is actually a reggae/disco mash-up venture, while the Horrors' self-titled EP is heavy on the garage guitar rock (but not on bass, since they don't have a bass player). Let's save the Halloween fun for next week.

Bright Eyes vs. Bright Light Fever: Sacramento, California, garage-rockers BLF are having plenty of fun on their debut, Bright Light Fever Presents the Evening Owl — and they're sure to gain a few fans with "Papa's Got a Brand New Liver." But they're no match for one of indie rock's biggest troubadours, Conor Oberst, who's lumping 21 hard-to-find tracks onto Bright Eyes' Noise Floor (Rarities: 1998-2005).

Skid Row vs. Winger: A week after Twisted Sister quietly brought their career to a close with A Twisted Christmas, two more hair-metal greats are rearing their heads. Skid Row's first album in three years and second without singer Sebastian Bach, Revolutions Per Minute, finds them joined by a three-part string section and kicking into country-rock mode on "You Lie." But it's been almost 15 years since we've heard from Winger, so their IV — which does feature founding member Kip Winger — wins out.

Song Title of the Week:

"I Am Warm & Powerful" from Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin's Broom

Other Notables:

+/-'s Let's Build Fire: The Death Cab for Cutie tourmates are a bit easier to verbalize than !!!, who can also be tricky to find in the record racks. But to make matters more complicated, this record by the mostly ex-Versus musicians was issued in Japan earlier this year and has since been tweaked with different tracks, remixed sound and remastering.

Converge's No Heroes: Metal and hardcore converged — for the first time, some would argue — with this Salem, Massachusetts, band. The group is as direct as ever as it wails through the 40-minute disc, which includes "Heartache," "Hellbound," "Plagues" — plus a guest-vocal appearance by Only Living Witness' Jonah Jerkins.

The Curtains' Calamity: Chris Cohen spends most of his time spazzing out in Deerhoof, but he had enough energy to squeeze out 13 tracks for his other project. While he laid down the initial tracks for the Curtains' fourth release by himself, Cohen is joined by Sufjan Stevens collaborator Half-Handed Cloud, ex-Mae-Shi member Corey Fogel and others through his alternately brooding and bubble-gum pop songs.

New Releases:

• +/- Let's Build Fire (Absolutely Kosher)
• Alabama - Songs of Inspiration (RCA)
• Amy Annelle - Songs for Creeps (High Plains Sigh)
• George Benson & Al Jarreau - Givin' It Up (Concord)
• Jello Biafra - In the Grip of Official Treason (Alternative Tentacles)
• The Blow - Paper Television (K)
• Bright Light Fever - Bright Light Fever Presents the Evening Owl (Stolen Transmission)
• Children of Bodom - Chaos Ridden Years: Stockholm Knockout Live (Spinefarm)
• Converge - No Heroes (Epitaph)
• Cowboy Junkies - Long Journey Home: Live in Liverpool (with DVD; Zöe)
• Freddie Cruger - Soul Search (Ubiquity/ Raw Fusion)
• The Curtains - Calamity (Asthmatic Kitty)
• De La Soul - AOI Presents - Impossible: Mission (Red Lion)
• Devastations - Coal (Brassland)
• Driveblind - Driveblind (Geffen)
• Drones - Gala Mill (ATP)
• Dynasty Handbag - Foo Foo Yik Yik (enhanced; Lovepump United)
• Electric Six - Switzerland (Metropolis)
• Electro Quarterstaff - Gretsky (Willowtip)
• Gliss - Love the Virgins (Mountain Lo-Fi)
• Grey Does Matter - Your Job Will Kill You (Pop Rally)
• Miho Hatori - Ecclysis (Rykodisc)
• Heart Attacks - Hellbound and Heartless (digipak; Hellcat)
• Brooke Hogan - Undiscovered (SMC)
• Horrors - Horrors (EP; Stolen Transmission)
• Frida Hyvönen - Until Death Comes (Secretly Canadian)
• Jibbs - Jibbs Feat. Jibbs (Geffen)
• Jóhann Jóhannsson - IBM 1401, a User's Manual (4AD)
• John Legend - Once Again (Sony Urban)
• Kill the Vultures - The Careless Flame {Locust)
• Krokus - Hellraiser (Locomotive)
• Gucci Mane - Hard to Kill (Big Cat)
• Aimee Mann - One More Drifter in the Snow (Superego)
• Manning - Anser's Tree (Progrock)
• Manowar - The Sons of Odin (EP with bonus DVD; Magic Circle)
• Matt & Kim - Matt & Kim (IHeartComix)
• Miss Nine - Yoshitoshi Ibiza (Yoshitoshi)
• Montgomery Gentry - Some People Change (Columbia)
• My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade (limited-edition version in velveteen box also available; Reprise)
  Read: "My Chemical Romance Unveil Black Parade Track List, Album Art"
• Roger O'Donnell - The Truth in Me (Great Society)
• Partyline - Zombie Terrorist (Retard Disco)
• Kelly Price - This Is Who I Am (Gospocentric)
• Ratos de Porão - Homem Inimigo Do Homem (Alternative Tentacles)
• Rachael Ray - How Cool Is That Christmas (Epic)
• Brian Setzer - 13 (Surfdog)
• Shareefa - Point of No Return (Def Jam)
• Pal Shazar - The Morning After (Funzalo)
• Skid Row - Revolutions Per Minute (Steamhammer)
• Skygreen Leopards - Disciples of California (Jagjaguwar)
• Slumber Party Girls - Dance Revolution (Geffen)
• Smile Empty Soul - Vultures (Bieler Bros.)
• Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Broom (Polyvinyl)
• Sparta - Threes (Hollywood)
  Read: "Sparta Return With New LP, Outlook, Tour — And No Need For 'Hipster Points' "
• Paul Stanley - Live to Win (New Door)
• Street Dogs - Fading American Dream (with DVD; Brass Tracks/ DRT)
• Taylor Swift - Taylor Swift (Big Machine)
• Carl Tanner - Hear the Angel Voices (TMG)
• TM Juke - Forward (Ubiquity/ Tru Thoughts)
• Totimoshi - Ladrón (Crucial Blast)
• Under Byen - Samme Stof Som Stof (Paper Bag)
• Vains of Jenna - Lit Up/ Let Down (Filthy Note)
• Various - The World Is Gone (XL)
• Andreas Vollenweider featuring Carly Simon - Midnight Clear (Denon)
• Peter Walker - A Raga for Peter Walker (digipak; Tompkins Square)
• The Walkmen - Pussy Cats Starring the Walkmen (Record Collection)
• Wee Hairy Beasties - Animal Crackers (Bloodshot)
• Whitey - The Light at the End of the Tunnel Is a Train (Dim Mak)
• Winger - IV (Frontiers)
• Zebrahead - Broadcast to the World (Icon)
• Various artists - Butchering the Beatles: A Headbashing Tribute (Restless)
• Various artists - Old Town School of Folk Music Songbook, Volume 1 (Old Town School)
• Various artists - Six the Hard Way (Heartbeat)
• Various artists - "Hannah Montana" soundtrack (with DVD; Disney)
• Various artists - "Masters of Horror II" soundtrack (Downtown)
• Various artists - "The Nightmare Before Christmas" soundtrack (special two-CD edition; Disney)
  Read: "Fall Out Boy, Panic, Marilyn Manson Add To New 'Nightmare Before Christmas' Soundtrack"
• Various artists - "Saw III" soundtrack (Warcon)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

• 2 Live Jews - Christmas Jews (Empire Musicwerks)
• Angel - Live Without a Net (Polygram)
• Atari Teenage Riot - Atari Teenage Riot: 1992-2000 (Digital Hardcore)
• Biz Markie - Make the Music With Your Mouth, Biz (Traffic)
• Bright Eyes - Noise Floor (Rarities: 1998-2005) (Saddle Creek)
• Ray Brown - The Best of the Ray Brown Trio 1977-2000 (two CDs; Concord)
• Climax Blues Band - Sense of Direction (Fuel)
• John Coltrane - Gold (Hip-O)
• Def Leppard - Hysteria (two-CD deluxe edition; Island)
• John Denver - Annie's Song: A Collection of His Finest Recordings (two CDs; Music Club Deluxe)
• The Derailers - The Derailers Retrospective (Varèse Sarabande)
• The Flaming Lips - At War With the Mystics (limited-edition version with DVD; Warner Bros.)
• Ben Folds - Supersunnyspeedgraphic, the LP (Epic)
• Jim Hall - Hallmarks: The Best of Jim Hall (two CDs; Concord)
• Hoodoo Gurus - Stoneage Romeos (Hoodoo Gurus)
• Greg Howe - Collection: The Shrapnel Years Collection (Shrapnel)
• Moby - Go: The Very Best of Moby (V2)
• MxPx - Let's Rock: Rarities (Side One Dummy)
• The Number 12 Looks Like You - Put on Your Rosy Red Glasses (enhanced; ECA)
• Andy Partridge - The Official Andy Partridge Fuzzy Warbles Collector's Album (nine-CD box set; Ape House)
• Saxon - An Introduction to Saxon (Fuel)
• Duncan Sheik - Brighter/Later: A Duncan Sheik Anthology (two CDs; Rhino)
• Soul Men - Their Greatest Hits (Fuel)
(Varèse Sarabande)
• Cat Stevens - On the Road to Find Out (four-CD box set; A&M)
• Don Walser and the Pure Texas Band - Texas Legend
• Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (two-CD deluxe edition; Mercury)
• Frank Zappa - Trance-Fusion (Zappa)
• Various artists - The Harry Smith Project: The Anthology of American Folk Music Revisited (box set with two CDs and two DVDs; Shout! Factory)
• Various artists - Jazz in Paris Remixed (with DVD; Fontana)
• Various artists - The Mistletoe Lounge (Brash)
• Various artists - Six the Hard Way (Heartbeat)

Music DVDs:

• Children of Bodom - "Chaos Ridden Years: Stockholm Knockout Live" (Spinefarm)
• Hoodoo Gurus - "Tunnel Vision" (Hoodoo Gurus)
• Waylon Jennings - "Nashville Rebel" (RCA)
• Robert Plant and the Strange Sensation - "Robert Plant and the Strange Sensation" (Rounder/Zöe)
• Rick Springfield - "Live in Rockford" (Gomer)
• Jeff Tweedy - "Sunken Treasure: Live in the Pacific Northwest" (Nonesuch)

Coming Attractions:

October 31:

• Ron Artest - My World (Lightyear)
  Read: "Ron Artest Battles In Basketball/Boxing Game, Funds His Own Rap LP"
• Deftones - Saturday Night Wrist (Maverick)
  Read: "Deftones Plan Tour With Deadsy Before LP Drops On Halloween"
• Lady Sovereign - Public Warning (Def Jam)
• Kevin Federline - Playing With Fire (Reincarnate)
  Read: "Federline Moving Songs From The Lab To Clubs For Testing"
• Pitbull - El Mariel (TVT)
  Read: "Pitbull Barks About Parties, Politics On October's El Mariel"

November 7:

• James Blunt - Back to Bedlam (limited-edition version with bonus CD; Atlantic)
• Foo Fighters - Skin and Bones (RCA)
• Jim Jones - Hustler's P.O.M.E. (Product of My Environment) (Koch)
• Dave Matthews Band - The Best of What's Around, Vol. 1 (two CDs; RCA)
• Old Dirty Bastard - A Son Unique (Def Jam)

November 14:

• Army of Anyone - Army of Anyone (Firm)
  Read: "Army Of Anyone Want To Be Judged By Their Fifth Album, Not Their Debut"
• Fat Joe - Me, Myself and I (Virgin)
  Read: "Fat Joe On September Release: 'Bet The Kitchen Sink On Me' "
• The Game - Doctor's Advocate (Geffen)
  Read: "Game Says Song On New LP Makes Him 'The One-Man N.W.A' "
• Plus-44 - When Your Heart Stops Beating (Interscope)
  Read: "Plus-44 Address Blink Breakup On LP, Want Fans To 'Hear The Truth' "
• Tenacious D - "The Pick of Destiny" soundtrack (Epic)

• MCR RAW: A Night At The Opera

• My Chemical Romance
• John Legend
• The Walkmen
• Sparta
• Bright Eyes

Converge
Photo: J. Bennett/ Epitaph Records

Converge don't ascribe to the old punk axiom "kill your idols" — they just think you should maim them a bit. The Boston band's upcoming album No Heroes is a harsh declaration of individuality that stems in part from being called pioneers of a wave of post-hardcore and metalcore outfits.

"Any time we see our name associated with a band as a selling point, we bum out," singer Jacob Bannon said, shortly after Converge finished touring as part of this year's Sounds of the Underground tour. "You should make your own way. Do something interesting. Have your actual art speak for itself."

Converge's music doesn't just speak for itself — it roars like a 6 a.m. wakeup call from a jackhammer. Other bands may be as loud or discordant, but few are as gloriously unhinged. The group's No Heroes, which comes out October 24, is more straightforward than 2004's You Fail Me, but it's also heavier. Whether trading off between lumbering riffs and punishing blast beats ("Heartache"), combining tumbling rhythms with Fugazi-style screams ("Trophy Scars") or dragging melancholy textures and melodic vocals through a scalding sea of tar ("Grim Heart/ Black Rose"), Converge are consistently more innovative and unsettling than most of their contemporaries.

"There are so many bands that are so loud but say absolutely nothing," Bannon said. "When I was a kid and I skated every day, when you saw someone like that, you called them a poser. They walk the walk but don't talk to talk, and I see so much of that in today's music scene. It's really discouraging because I'm a music lover and a listener."

One reason No Heroes is so crushing and urgent, Bannon says, is because the band didn't over-think things in the studio. Sure, over the past year, the band was meticulous about writing the new songs, but when it was time to record, many of the tunes were tracked in their entirety in just one or two takes.

"We really don't like putting too many things together on a computer or a tape machine if we don't have to," Bannon said. "We're all about the live, organic feel and there's an amazing energy that comes forth when you record like that."

Another way Converge kept No Heroes undiluted was by keeping everything in the family. Instead of hiring a producer, they put their faith in guitarist Kurt Ballou, who works as a professional producer and engineer when he's not with Converge.

"We've always practiced in his studio, but now we recorded there as well," Bannon said. "We just figured if lots of other bands can come to him for guidance, then we should trust him as well. And it worked out great. There was no pressure and no deadlines. We just did it all ourselves."

Despite their challenging sound, Converge — who always seem to be on the road — have cultivated a loyal following over the years. And while their music probably won't bring them the kind of success enjoyed by the dozens of bands they've inspired, Bannon says that, as long as they can keep their audiences happy, that's perfectly fine with them.

"We know we're not easy to digest," Bannon said. "We're a band that you need to spend time with to really understand what we are. Without that, we're a big barrage of noise. And as long as some people know there's a little bit more to us than that, we'll keep doing what we're doing."

Converge will be on tour with Mastodon and the Bronx this fall, starting September 6 in Baltimore, with dates scheduled through September 30 in San Diego.

The rest of the week's metal news:

Unearth, Bleeding Through, Terror and Through the Eyes of the Dead will hit the road together in September for the Sanctity of Brothers tour. The trek will kick off in Cleveland on September 7, with dates scheduled through September 30 in Worcester, Massachusetts. ... Long-running metallers Machine Head will head into Oakland, California's Sharkbite Studios on Monday to begin recording their sixth studio LP, The Blackening. The album is being primed for an early 2007 release. Frontman and guitarist Robert Flynn will produce the effort, which will feature "Clenching the Fists of Dissent," "Aesthetics of Hate," "Halo," "The Beautiful Mourning," "Now I Lay Thee Down," "Slanderous Love" and "A Farewell to Arms." "Words can't really describe how excited we are to get into the studio and record this record," drummer Dave McClain said in a statement issue by the band's label, Roadrunner Records. "The shows that we just played on the Sounds of the Underground tour were as amazing as we'd hoped they'd be, [and] the raw energy and excitement level of our fans right now is just incredible. We're fired up." ... Shadows Fall will commence pre-production for their yet-untitled major-label debut next week, with plans to begin recording the CD in Los Angeles next month, according to an online update from drummer Jason Bittner. "That means the new record will definitely make it on the shelves by early 2007," he wrote on the band's site. ...

Ex-Vision of Disorder and current Bloodsimple frontman Tim Williams has also posted an update on his band. "We've been hitting the studio daily," he wrote. "Last week was actually really productive. We cranked out three more songs and that brings the total to 14 new songs. Tales of heartache, pain and loss — some good old-fashioned hatecore to the extreme. We are gonna have you spitting out your own teeth in no time." The band is once again working with producer Machine (Bloodsimple's Cruel World, Lamb of God) on the disc. Look for the album early next year. ... Defunct melodic-death-metal pioneers At the Gates' 1995 LP Slaughter of the Soul will be reissued September 19 as a DualDisc CD/DVD. Look for it to include a making-of documentary along with a video for the track "Blinded by Fear." ... Cradle of Filth are planning to hit the road in the new year in support of their upcoming album Thornography, which is due in stores October 17. Official tour dates and information regarding the trek's opening acts will be revealed in the next few months, according to a spokesperson for the band. ... Dark Tranquility are in the throes of writing new material for the next LP and have demoed between 10 and 11 tracks thus far. The effort will be produced by Tue Madsen (Panzerchrist, Mnemic) and will feature "Blind at Heart," "The Lesser Faith" and "Insignificu--." ...

On Tuesday, Celtic Frost wrapped shooting on the video for "A Dying God Coming Into Human Flesh," which should be set for air next month. ... With DevilDriver unable to make Venom's rescheduled tour dates, New Orleans black-metallers Goatwhore have stepped up to take their place. Dates are scheduled from Thursday in Tempe, Arizona, through September 8 in Philadelphia. In related news, Goatwhore shot a video in New York earlier this month for the track "Alchemy" with director David Brodsky (Strapping Young Lad, the Red Chord); the song appears on the band's forthcoming disc, A Haunting Curse, which hits stores September 5. The album will feature a dozen tracks, including "Bloodletting Upon the Cloven Hoof," "My Eyes Are the Spears of Chaos" and "Silenced Marked by the Breaking of Bone." The 'Whore will tour with Celtic Frost this fall, starting in San Francisco on October 3. ... German power-metal titans Grave Digger have begun work on their next album, Liberty or Death. The album's set for a January 12 release. ...

Canadian post-grindcore extremists the End are also in the studio, beginning work on their next full-length. Says frontman Aaron Wolff: "There was a very conscious effort to create the album that people won't be able to predict and won't get tired of. We truly feel that there is something in this record for anyone, as long as they are willing to let themselves forget about everything around them and focus on where the sound takes them. We are extremely happy with the progress we have made thus far." Look for the yet-untitled outing early next year. ... Austrian extreme-death band Belphegor have lost drummer Nefastus, although he'll be featured on the band's upcoming album Pestapokalypse VI, set to hit stores October 31. With Nefastus gone, the rest of the band's in need of a replacement. Interested? Visit the group's Web site, Belphegor.at, for all the pertinent details. ... The lineup for next spring's Maryland Deathfest V is starting to take shape. The annual metal convention, set for May 26 and 27 in Baltimore, will feature Brutal Truth, Cripple Bastards, Origin, Nunwhore Commando 666, Exhale and Putrescence.

• Converge
• Machine Head
• At The Gates
• Unearth