Information
Track Listing
Concept
In relation to the bands personal experiences, the album also deals with alcohol addiction, drug abuse, rejection, friendship, relationships, suicide, terrorism and illness.
Recording
Recording for the debut album began in January 2002 in Nada Studios, New Windsor, New York. with producer Geoff Rickly, Eyeball Records boss Alex Saavedra and engineer John Naclerio.
Gerard had a billion great ideas and he was very excited about it all, Mikey had a great record collection but had no idea how to play bass. Ray was the sort of guy you’d find working in a guitar shop – one of those people who’d be a little hard to deal with because he’d be a much better player than anyone else. Otter (Matt Pelissier) was messy though.
The thing was, they had great ideas. Ray had tons of different guitar parts. I asked, ‘How are you going to play those live?’. He just shrugged and went, ‘I’ll just choose between the important parts and the not so important parts’. I thought, if they’re that important, you need to get another guitar player to play them.
Geoff Rickly
It was only a week before heading into Nada Studios that guitarist Frank Iero was asked to join the band. Due to the lack of time, Frank only managed to write a few new guitar parts that featured on the album. There were only two tracks on the album that featured Frank, one was Early Sunsets Over Monroeville.
There were times that Gerard completely ripped himself apart on that record. The second I started recording Gerard’s vocals I turned to his little brother and said, ‘If you stick with this, you’re going to be the biggest band in the world’. I knew from Gerard that they were a band who would have an impact. There was a level of humanity in there that meant people would be able to relate to it. I was amazed by it because I’d never seen that in a person before.
Geoff Rickly
Making the first record was a really amazing experience, the band was together maybe like six months.
Ray Toro – Life On The Murder Scene – 2006
We really had no identity, to me at least, every song on that first record sounded very different from the next and I think thats one of my favorite things about our band, there’s not one set style.
Ray Toro – Life On The Murder Scene – 2006
I don’t know if we were really ready for it, but we were ready to tour, so that’s what mattered and we were ready to really take on the world.
Gerard Way – Life On The Murder Scene – 2006
The first record was made to kind of capture a moment in time and also to have something to tour with. We kind of captured really the genesis of the band on the CD. Things were all very new, Frank had just joined the band.
Gerard Way – Life On The Murder Scene – 2006
We were only a band three months when we made that record, and all the songs that were on that record are the only ones we had.
Gerard Way – Life On The Murder Scene – 2006
Record Release
Reception And Sales
As of February 2009 the album has sold over 300,000 copies in the USA and received a Gold sales status certification for sales of over 100,000 copies in the UK.