“The Foundations of Decay” is MCR’s first new song since 2014. This comes as the band prepares for their highly-anticipated reunion tour.
Emo fans on the Internet collectively lost their minds and joined the Black Parade all over again after My Chemical Romance dropped a surprise new single on Thursday, called “The Foundations of Decay.” This is the emo rock band’s first new song in eight years after “Fake Your Death” in 2014, which came just a year after the band’s historic breakup. In 2019, MCR announced a very highly-anticipated reunion tour, which has been pushed back twice due to the pandemic. Luckily, the band is finally set to kick off their tour next week in the UK, before returning for the US dates in August.
“The Foundations of Decay” is a refreshing return for My Chemical Romance. This song feels like the end of a chapter and a new beginning. It’s nostalgic, cathartic, dark, and hopeful. The song does not have a music video as of its release date, only a simple visualizer video and a link to find the song on streaming services.
The song is a six-minute-long slow burn, starting off with a soft guitar intro and Gerard Way’s iconic voice, building gently to the chorus. The lyrics in this song remind me of their album Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, as they pull from phrases and words in Catholicism. This also ties in with a lot of the symbolism the band used to build hype for their 2019 reunion. However, I believe the most striking lyrics are in the second verse, referencing how Way was inspired to pursue music when he witnessed 9/11 in New York City and began My Chemical Romance in 2001.
“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 rooms corrode”
After the second chorus, the song takes a heavier turn with a breakdown and Way’s recognizable screams. Ray Toro, Frank Iero, and Mikey Way’s work on this track is also worth praise, as the guitars swell and build throughout the song and reach a soaring peak in the bridge with the band’s classic tone. Musically, it feels like the cinematic conclusion and rebirth after a painful story. The song ends with a softness that’s interrupted by the main heavy guitar riff, before decaying into noise, static, and feedback.
“The Foundations of Decay” is just the beginning for My Chemical Romance in 2022. It’s unclear if the band plans to release more music soon, but the band is already making a strong return for their upcoming tour. Between the captivating lyrics, the hypnotizing guitars, and the hard-hitting breakdown in this song, it’s clear that these musicians were always meant to reunite.
