My Chemical Romance has returned with its first new song since 2014.
The six-minute track, titled “The Foundations of Decay,” harkens back to the emo band’s heyday with Gerard Way’s dramatic vocal delivery, soaring guitar riffs and an epic slow build. The song is produced by Way, Doug McKean and lead guitarist Ray Toro.
The band is about to embark on a reunion tour with dates in North America and Europe, which was originally scheduled for 2020 but postponed due to the pandemic. The tour begins in the U.K. on May 16, continuing through Oct. 17 with five dates at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum. My Chemical Romance is also hitting the festival circuit this summer, performing at emo fest When We Were Young and Riot Fest.
Despite the upcoming tour, new music was not necessarily expected from My Chemical Romance, who disbanded in 2013. They released one final song, “Fake Your Death,” in 2014 as part of greatest hit compilation “May Death Never Stop You.” The band then reunited briefly in 2019 for a series of one-off reunion shows.
Since the disbanding of My Chemical Romance, each member — Gerard Way, Toro, rhythm guitarist Frank Iero and bassist Mikey Way — has continued to pursue music. Gerard Way released a solo album titled “Hesitant Alien” in 2014, Iero has released a solo record and performed with Death Spells and Reggie and the Full Effect, Mikey Way formed his group Electric Century and Toro has also released music on SoundCloud. Beyond music, Gerard Way has seen much success from his comic book series, “The Umbrella Academy,” which was adapted into a television series by Netflix and is set to release its third season in June.
Listen to “The Foundations of Decay” below.