Album Review: My Chemical Romance, 'Conventional Weapons – Volume 4'

Guitarist Frank Iero calls them time capsules, because the two-track releases that make up the “Conventional Weapons” series had been locked away in My Chemical Romance’s vaults, seemingly for good.

Recorded between the highs of 2006’s “The Black Parade” and 2010’s “Danger Days,” they make up an entire album’s worth of songs that the band had shelved, believing they weren’t right.

Just a few years later, after listening with fresh ears and a different frame of mind, the band realized the music deserved to be heard — if not as a standard album, then in a format that matched the uniqueness of the songs. And so the “Conventional Weapons” series was born. Finally fans were able to experience the missing links between My Chemical Romance’s landmark albums.

Although Volumes 1-3 have drawn praise, “Conventional Weapons – Volume 4” might be the best yet. Lead track “Kiss The Ring” is a fast, infectious rocker that will probably be crashing into the charts by the time you read this, while “Make Room!” reveals where some of the lyrical inspiration for “Na Na Na” on “Danger Days” came from.

Whether you’re a fan wanting to hear a side of the band that had previously been hidden away, or just looking to score a quick My Chemical Romance fix, make Volume 4 your ”Weapons” of choice. And watch this space for a profile of the final piece of the puzzle, Volume 5, next month.