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While fans have waited impatiently through My Chemical Romance's self-imposed hiatus, the boys in the band haven't exactly stopped working.  While they haven't been concentrating on My Chem, Gerard Way revealed to MTV that the members have been keeping busy with other projects while they gear up to write and record their third major label studio album.

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Gerard shared his further thoughts on the hiatus situation.  "People need to kind of miss us because there was a point in the last two-and-a-half years where you could have seen us at least once a month if you wanted."

Well, actually, Gerard, some of us couldn't because you still owe us a show in Pittsburgh.  I disgress. Ehemehem!

So what have the guys been doing while they've been "living?"  Gerard has been working on his Eisner Award winning comic The Umbrella Academy.  He's also apparently working on something "super secret" for DC comics as well.  Could we be seeing Gerard Way writing one of DC's multitude of classic characters in the near future?  And if so, who?

Gerard's brother Mikey has also apparently been working on a comic of his own.  Since the Brothers Way grew up reading comics together it seems fitting.  But if there's no unicorns I'm going to feel more than a little cheated.

Frank Iero has been hard at work with his new band Leathermouth, which is set to tour this fall with Reggie and the Full Effect. Peep Frank as Frankenstein in Reggie and the Full Effect's new music video.


Ray Toro has been busy crushing my dreams getting married to his long time girlfriend, as well as fronting a Weezer cover band.  Why are all the good men taken?  Where have all the cowboys gone?

As for Bob Bryar, he's in Chicago.  Doing...stuff.  I don't know what "stuff" is, but a rough guess is that he's using his time on hiatus to begin a career as a masked avenger of the night.  Logical conclusion and all that.

But not to worry, the boys will be back to work on a new album soon.  After all, they're already working on their cover of "Desolation Row" by Bob Dylan, to be used as the first single from the upcoming film Watchmen.  That soundtrack will hit shelves in December for all of you, like me, who are chomping at the bit for some new MCR material.

As for their new original material, Gerard Way has said it won't necessarily be punk, but will be "stripped-down."  "It's hard to say at this point, but musically, how Black Parade tapped into the glam, classic rock of Queen and Ziggy Stardust, this taps into something different — not punk, but maybe in its proto sense. The aesthetic — it is extremely different, and it is more stripped-down too. When we get a chance, we're going to get together and do some demos and start rolling. But we're going to take it slow."

But what about the theme of the album?  Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge tapped into the idea of vengeance, The Black Parade was a celebration of death which got MCR dubbed an "emo death cult" by the always reputable Daily Mail.  So, what sort of gloomy, depressing ideas will they be tackling next?

Gerard says, "It will be more direct, more about life, and have more social commentary in there...That's where it's kind of heading now. It won't be a 'boohoo' record about 'Oh, we got famous,' but a commentary on how the world is now."

Social commentary.  Those bastards.

What are you hoping for out of the new album?  What do you think of the guys' side projects?  Share your thoughts with me, people of Buzznet!