My Chemical Romance's quality and originality has decreased steadily since this CD. Those goth-looking and alternative rockers are not what My Chemical Romance started out as. In this CD every song is unique, each with their own touch in both music and lyrics. The whole album carries you in an avalanche from begining to end, and somehow the slower songs have as much energy from every source as the harder, louder ones. Gerard's voice is just amazing. Completely original and full of uncontained, raw energy, unlike, I regret to say, the later CDs. The lyrics are just damn amazing, to the careless eye open and somewhat violent, but under that shallow layer (which seems to be what My Chemical Romance stuck with for The Black Parade) lies a world of coils and metaphors.
Now I'll do a review of each song, because they're all so unique that I can't capture the whole album in a panoramic view.
Romance: A short, musical introduction which sets the stage for the next song. Beautiful and romantic, in a My Chemical Romance sort of way.
Honey, This Mirror Isn't Big Enough for the Two of Us: Yeah, I love that title! The song is more breathtaking than a fall flat on your back and just as impacting. The lyrics are simply superb in that MCR "open" style with all those twisty little metaphors inside of it. The singing and music are amazing also, leaving me to wonder why they changed. This is MUSIC the way I've never heard it before.
Vampires Will Never Hurt You: At first I thought it was a roll and tumble downhill after Track 2. The melody didn't seem to follow a set pattern and it seemed as though the words didn't really fit. Then I realized they were all points in favor for the song. It makes it diferent and unique, and the fact that they pulled off this dangerous variation only proves them better. Gerard doesn't shy away from a good scream, and they carry the song not only on but up. I cried with this song.
Drowning Lessons: Half a step down from the previous songs. While the lyrics are just as good the melody is a little on the hysterically happy side. I can tell that they did it on purpose and I admire them for trying this variation but they fell a little short.
Our Lady of Sorrows: Oh man. The energy of this song is just unmatched. The only thing I have against it is that it's too short (a mere 2:05 minutes). It's what I call "Wham!" Just about left me on the ground (again).
Headfirst for Hallows: Another of the Drowning Lessons type. Here they did better though, with more apt lyrics for the mood.
Skylines and Turnstiles: *Snif* One of the saddest songs ever written. It had me crying by the fourth line. From what I've heard, it's the first song Gerard wrote (album-quality, of course). It's about the fall of the Twin Towers. It just brought me back to the moment it all happened and all the pain and sorrow and USELESSNESS of it all. I've honestly rarely cried like I did lying in the dark listening to Skylines and Turnstiles.
Early Sunsets Over Monroeville: This song, while being much slower than the others, and down-tuned musically, is the pinnacle of Gerard's singing. The sweet, romantic start fades into a desperate cry of mysery and pain. I cried through the whole thing. There's something about the way Gerard chokes out "But does anyone notice? But does anyone care?" "And there's no room in this hell, there's no room in the next" and overall "And in saying you loved me made things harder at best" that just reveals the part in you that cries not only its eyes but its heart and soul out.
This Is the Best Day Ever: Another short one. Precariously balanced, I think, on slightly different lyric style, catchy guitars and singing and the strategy of racing through the song, it did quite well.
Cubicles: Although not my favorite song, the proud owner of the best line ever written: "I'd photocopy all the things that we could be if you took the time to notice me". And I'd plaster that phrase all over my room if I could. Just wonderfully ironic and metaphoric and smooth all in one.
Demolition Lovers: what can I say. If I had to pick my favorite out of the whole CD it would be this one. Another crying song, by the way. Not so sad this time, just so incredibly beautiful. "I'd end my days with you in a hail of bullets.//I'm trying, I'm trying, to let you know just how much you mean to me.//As snow falls on desert skies, until the end of everything." Everyone displays their talents without plain showing off (as they did in the ending track for Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge). It starts out slow and then builds up to a eardrums-blasting grand finalle, both for the CD and for the last "real" My Chemical Romance we will probably ever hear.

I bought this for my 13 year old, she loves MCR and was happy that it arrived in less than a week! It was packaged very well also.

I bought this album when it came out in 2002, andI'm still jammin to every song like I did when I first played it. It's a great album, and I sometimes prefer this album to the other two that the band has made. All of the songs are great to listen to over and over again. I have recommended it to many of my friends who are just as obbsessed as I am, and we all agree on one thing...

It's frikkin AWESOME!!!

I bought this cd last summer and am still enjoying its content.
This cd is wonderful for people who like hard fast rock, and want something interesting to listen to. It has interesting, deep lyrics that will leave you with much to think about long after you listen to it. I wouldn't recommend this cd for someone who was attracted to My Chemical Romance's music because of The Black Parade, because the styles are very, very different. However, I would recommend it for people who were attracted to them by Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, because the style of the music is much more similar. This is an awesome cd and it will keep you entertained for months.

If you love MCR and good music, you have to have this CD. It's their beginning, how they started off; it's great. I absolutely love this CD and haven't heard anything else like it.
Buy it, you'll love it even if you don't like their later CDs (which i doubt).