That's right, ladies and gents, our featured band this month is none other than My Chemical Romance. Love 'em or hate 'em, you know who they are, and chances are you've caught yourself humming something from them more than once. Considering the controversy surrounding Sound Faction's favourite boy's from the Murder Scene as of late, we felt the need to show our support and have them this month as our feature.

Coming out of New Jersey in 2002 with their debut CD, "I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love", they gained a loyal fan base in the clubs and small venues around North America with their fast paced, in your face aggressive style mixed with deep, emotional lyrics. In 2004, they released "Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge", and with the change in labels from Eyeball to Reprise, and the release of the catchy concept video for "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)", they came out of the underground and exploded into the mainstream.

While enjoying success with all their singles from "Three Cheers", it seems hard to compare it to the mind blowing advances the band made in popularity with their latest CD "The Black Parade". The concept CD has been compared to David Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust", and has had even the most conservative parents willing to take their kids to see MCR, seeing as, admit it or not, they have come to like at least one of the tracks on the newest addition to MCR's Disography.

At the moment, MCR fans are anxiously awaiting the arrival of "The Black Parade is Dead!", a live CD/DVD release of two shows on "The Black Parade" tour, and, seeing as the band is currently on break for a few months, fans are also awaiting news of the band heading back to the studio to begin work on their 4th CD.

I came across the band purely by accident, having been downloading muisic one day (Shhh, I pirate), and actually accidentally downloading "Cubicles" from their first CD. I loved it, but it had been mislabled and I couldn't find out who it had been by, all that drama. Then, again, purely by accident, I had on Much LOUD one morning and the "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" video came on and I loved it, listened to the song multiple times, before going out and randomly buying the CD. When I released they had another, I went and got that as well, and was pleasently surprised to find "Cubicles" on there... it was awesome, really.

I love this band, and I've met many of my best friends through them (All the girls on this site, for example). My favourite moments would be driving to Detroit, almost going through 8 Mile, standing in line for hours and hours on end, just to see them, twice, before they left us for a while to make this new CD that we're all anxious for. I don't know what to say apart from that... you have to love a band to do all that, I think. It was amazing fun, and the show they put on is always amazing.

I'm pretty sure it's obvious that we here at SF are die-hard MCR fans. Pretty safe to say that you all know that if you've spent any amount of time on our site at all! I first got into MCR ages and ages ago in 2002. (I feel frickin old even thinking about it). Cool dudes, every last one of 'em to the bitter end! In fact: My Chemical Romance is the band that united myself and many of my friends, including most of the amazing girls running SF with me! (MCR was even the spawning point for Sound Faction, believe it or not...) I've never met a better bunch of fans, just absolutely awesome people, totally devoted and just frickin fun to chill out with.

I've loved MCR since I first heard them in New Jersey, snagged a demo tape out of the back of a beat-up Honda from some shady lookin' dude (whom I'm gonna go ahead and call Dave) and ran from the cops for being underage at a basement party. I was hooked, even after listening to the shitty quality [re: pirated] demo I got (for five bucks, I might add. Thanks for the good deal, Dave). Even since then, I've been hooked, love the eff out of 'em.

I remember the "MCR Explosion". In fact I literally saw it take place in front of my very eyes. One day I'm rockin out to the worn-out demo I had, the next day I start my car and hear 'em pumping through the stereo. It was one of those "wait--WHAT??" moments, and it was awesome! I was so pumped that it had happened! Shortly after that came MTV, VH1 and Music Videos, award shows and new albums-- Frickin A! It was amazing to watch them skyrocket to where they are now in such a short period of time.

My favourite moment in MCR history... hmm... shit that's a hard question. I think just watching them deal with sudden stardom and watching them grow and learn, stumbling and tripping along the way. It really gave them the human aspect that so many of their fans connect with, between the quarterlife crisis and battles with chemicals and booze, all the while putting their entire heart and soul into every that they did. I think the thing that makes them stand out so foremost in my mind is just the way they handle whatever shit comes at them, with dignity, class and respect.

I remember reading the Daily Mail, seeing horrible articles about "Emo Suicide Bands" and labling My Chemical Romance and their fans as a "Suicide Cult" and just being incredulous about it, and then seeing a statement from the band, apologizing for the hurtful words of someone else. I think that's probably one of the classiest things that I've ever seen a band do, and I think it's for that reason that MCR fans are some of the most hardcore loyal bunch out there.

So! From us here at Sound Faction, congratulations to My Chemical Romance for being this month's Band of the Month, and on behalf of myself and the rest of the girls: Thank you.

As you can probably tell by this point, we all love My Chemical Romance. Interestingly, I was not an instant MCR fan. When I first heard MCR, it was when I was idly watching MTV's TRL, and their music video for "Helena" was on. It was summer, and I thought they were mediocre: nothing too special, but not horrible. And then the popular music mafia realized that MCR like totally represented the new music/clothing fad: goth emo kids, and over-played "Helena" EVERYWHERE. I got sick of it rather quickly.

Fast forward to Christmas break from University. I was visiting Caity and she, being the music ambassador that she is, sat me down in front of her computer, claiming "You are totally going to love MCR, I swear!" We watched the MTV2 Making the Video for "The Ghost of You", and I really liked the song (though I wasn't sure at the time if it was because of the music, or because of the band in WWII army greens). When I got back to University in February, I spent a gift card on Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. After being able to listen to the album on my own, I was in love with the music. The combination of lyrics and catchy instrumentals had me entranced.

My love of MCR was cemented when I saw them live for the first time at Bamboozle in May 2007. The way they worked the crowd at the show just sealed my love of the band. Though I may be a late-comer on the MCR bandwagon, they have quickly become my favourite living band (my favourite band ever is The Beatles). All I will say to the skeptics and cynics out there is: do not judge the band based on labels or an overplayed first single. Listen to the music, and judge on its own merit. You will find that you will fall in love with it; even if you never thought you would (like me).

Wow. June snuck up on us so fast! And it's time for our new Band of the Month! One that means a lot to all of us here at Sound Faction. The first My Chem song that actually affected me was "I'm Not Okay". I can't explain how the words hit me. I was going through a really rough time in my life and upon hearing that song, it made me realize a few things. It was because I finally realized that I could be whomever I wanted to be in life. It's strange how sometimes a band comes along and just inspires people to be whomever they want to be. It's a rarity in music these days to find a band like that, and MCR is that band. They reach out to a broad range of people. Their music impacts various age groups. I mean on the recent MCR tour they did, before they took a break and went back into the studio, we were sitting in line all day and we saw such a wide variety of people sitting there, waiting and getting excited. Inside it was nothing less: Mother's standing next to their children singing along to every word of every song, It's amazing to see.

This is why I don't understnad how people can blame a band for problems in society, like the recent teenage death of Hannah Bond, blamed on the fact that she was a MCR fan. It is not a band's responsibility to police our children. It's the parents who need to talk to their kids and not let them slide into shells. With me, music is my release. Going to a live show is a high like no other. Going to MCR shows is one of the most amazing highs that one could ever get. The excitement of watching them on stage, the energy they put into entertaining you and making sure you understand what their music is all abount and that you don't need to give into peer pressure. MCR stands above the crowd, with a great message and a great sense of worth to any fan who enjoys them. The lyrics are filled with words that anyone can relate to.

Because of MCR I've met some of the most amazing people to enter my life. They've given me solid friendships that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Thank you MCR for everything that you have brought into my life and the lives of those around me. Thank you.

I don't know how many times I tried to write somethign for the My Chemical Romance: Band of the Month. And it's not because I couldn't think of anything, it is because there is too much to say. Since all that really needs to be said is that My Chemical Romance has helped me though some of my darkest days. My Chemical Romance saved my life. Recently I got a tattoo on my wrist that says "Stand up f*cking tall, don't let them see your back". I can't even count the ways this line, this song, all their songs have spoken to me. They are an amazing band, and such nice and down to earth people. They are, and have been my favourite band ever since I sumbled across "I'm Not Okay" find years ago. I have met some of my best friends because of this band, and for that, I love them even more.

Personal Experience: I've had the pleasure of seeing them live five times, and meeting them twice. I will never tire of MCR live!! They are simply phenomenal! The first time I met them, I had a black eye from a concert the night before, and Gerard kept asking if I was Okay, and wouldn't stop until I told him how I got it.

I can not wait for their new record (though personally, I think six months is barely a break for people who have been touring for what, like three years straight!? ... but if that's all they want...!) And I can not wait to be barricade with my best friends!! LONG LIVE THE BLACK PARADE!!!!