Cassie The Venomous' Blog

My Chemical Romance guitarist Ray Toro has posted three pictures on Twitter that appear to be of a recording space. Could these possibly a first glimpse of the Los Angeles "compound" the guys mentioned in several recent interviews that they were building to record? Regardless, I see instruments about to be implemented and that makes me very excited. Check out the photos below and to the left! This may be our first glimpse at many things to come!

As some of you know, I have been stuck in an abysmal state of Internet-less-ness since late November. As such, I have not been able to update as frequently as I would like. Those of you who follow me (@PoisonAndFire) on Twitter probably already saw these as they came out (thank goodness for my mobile Internet access, even if limited!), but here is a re-cap of what has happened in the MCR news realm while I have been on winter break. November 23 In an interview with X-Press Magazine , bassist Mikey Way talked about the Danger Days... recording experience, reaffirms that they will "never add another member to the band again" (for those still wondering if their touring drummers will become permanent) and that they do, indeed, plan "to get together and begin the process of putting together a follow-up album....sooner rather than later!" --- November 24 In an interview by Kill Your Stereo , guitarist Frank Iero hinted that MCR's upcoming Big Day Out pe...

1. My Chemical Romance at iTunes Festival On July 9, My Chemical Romance appeared at London's Roundhouse as a part of the 31-day-spanning iTunes Festival . The performance streamed in full through iTunes and is still available to watch there, but -- luckily for us -- MCR fans are pros at streamripping by now, so you can watch it through the hour-and-a-half video embedded above. I know almost two hours sounds like an intimidating amount of time to dedicate to watching a concert online, but My Chem's iTunes Fest performance is one of the best I have seen from them in years. Vocalist Gerard Way, toward the middle of their set, had proclaimed it a magical night. And it truly was. 2. VH1's Do Something Awards VH1 and DoSomething.Org are honoring artists and other personalities who have donated their time and resources to helping others in the 2011 Do Something Awards Winners will be announced on August 18 at 9 p.m. EST on VH1. MCR fans : "#SINGItForJa...

Those of you who follow my online shenanigans beyond this blog may be aware that I am the blogs editor for ACRN.com , Ohio University's All Campus Radio Network. One of the blogs I oversee is called Exec Recs . In it, the executives of each of the station's departments list their current recommendations to readers. The blog is updated twice weekly, and I have so much fun and learn so much from the varying tastes of the contributors as I edit the posts that I decided to start my own Weekly Recommendations series here. I hope you enjoy! ____ 1. "Blasphemous Rumors" - Depeche Mode Is there anything better to listen to while writing or painting than Darkwave? Don't challenge me-- I'm a gloomy kid and believe there is not. Recently, I wrote a story for my short fiction class about an encounter between a person who was about to commit suicide and a person trying to convince the other not to. It turned into a mental dialogue about how human interaction wh...

As predicted in my previous blog, we have seen updates from MCR in the studio this week. I hate to say I told you so, but-- I totally did. This week we were graced with two videos. The first, titled "Siren Song," is an 11 second clip (which makes my dial-up VERY happy) of Gerard and Ray recording back-up vocals. Viola! There's our first glimpse of a recorded song from MCR's upcoming album. Ray's and Gerard's harmonies are haunting yet energizing, and I can't wait to hear exactly what they are backing. Judging by the rate at which Gerard is nodding his head, I'm guessing whatever it is will be fast. Brilliant! The second video shows studio workers and the album producer goofing off as Ray Toro speaks to them teasingly from behind the camera and we are given a 360 degree view of their recording space. We get to see the environment in which the guys are recording-- a room stacked wall-to-wall with guitars and equipment along with a few miscellaneous items...

Everyone should head over to My Chemical Romance [dot] com where you can not only hear a streaming clip from MCR Guitarist Ray Toro where he talks about the new album, but also download the clip to have and to hold as your very own. In his posted clip, Toro explains that the band is done writing and is preparing for the new album by practicing and polishing their new songs. He explains that this is a process My Chem's previous release, "The Black Parade" did not have and how the added practice and fine-tuning is changing the new songs. The guitarist concludes by promising even more updates and expressing the band's desire to get the album recorded and to tour. Is my heart pounding, oh yes! Is it 5AM?.. ... Well, that too. XoXo c.

Various sources such as Kerrang! , Buzznet, and BBC News have released articles today where a clearly excited Gerard Way speaks of the band's getting together this week to begin recording for the next album. From the sound of things, "Desolation Row" got them psyched to get back into the usual MCR groove of things. Wait, did I say usual? According to the band members, they are so stoked that this recording process could very well end up going more quickly than I can blog it. Ray Toro, Bob Bryar, and Gerard Way- alternating the playing of guitar, bass, and drum as they did so- already began writing at least three rough songs. The very un-MCR-like quick recording plus the fact that they are going for a more rough sound on this album can mean nothing but high-energy and excitement for the band, on the album, and among fans. Frank Iero claimed that from about the second week of being on break, he has wanted to return to writing with his bandmates. The MCR present is looking ...

Yesterday, British radio station, XFM , premiered MCR's "Desolation Row," and followed today with a wonderful interview with My Chem's lead-guitarist, Ray Toro. The guitarist commented on his watching VH1's "Confessions of a Teen Idol" and expressed concern that the band, while on break, would become like the miserable subjects of that show. So, does this mean he will be compelled to stop sitting around and watching TV to get busy with the band? Toro said that the band had begun "early discussions" and did some "preliminary writing" recently. He says that the band are focused on "having a good time" at this point, but they will be getting together in February to begin seriously plotting the next album. He also had this to say to fans: "Thanks to them for continuing to listen, and we really appreciate that. I know we've been off for a while and we're definitely going to come back soon. I mean, we can't wait....

A text message arrived to me late last night: --- Message From Twitter: gerardway: Epic blog! Heading to a recording studio... --- Now this could mean a couple things: Gerard is messing with the fans (see his Tweet about shaving his head and the chaos that surrounded it for example) or he, as is by now historically predicted of him, has blabbed something he was not supposed to blab. My money is going on the latter. My Chemical Romance , after the Madison Square Garden stop of their 2008 US tour in May, went into hiatus mode, not giving any definite date for the end of their off-road hibernation. They just needed time to "live," as they said, which is more than understandable for a band that had spent nearly 4 years straight on the road. But, of course, the guys didn't stay away from their passions. Frank Iero has been diligently working toward the release of his side-project, Leathermouth's, coming debut "XO" (January 27th, Epitaph Records) and touring with...

Four years have passed since "Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge" My Chemical Romance's first major label CD was released on Warner-Reprise records. It is noted for being the album that really brought My Chem to the forefront of music with their first major-label-released single, "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" followed by the widely popular "Helena" and "The Ghost of You". To celebrate the album's great success, the band is re-releasing it on special-edition red vinyl and adding a handwritten lyric sheet, artwork that did not make it to the CD, and even a fancy-pants gun stencil! I, for one, am majorly stoked on this release, because this is the CD that I grew up with, in a way. 2004 and 2005 were really huge years in my musical life, and this CD was there for me during those years, introducing me to a new kind of culture and music, and the band that ultimately changed my life. "Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge" has been there for me...

"At their very beginnings, some lives are destined to be saved, or else they will be cut tragically short." This was the first line of a paper I wrote last year about a meaningful experience in my life. I've come to find since writing that paper that there was never one experience that changed my life but several that saved my life: several nights of falling into the comfort of notes of songs, immersing myself in lyrics, and surrounding myself with the love that resonated through my empty room from my speakers. If you never read another of my posts, please take the time to read this one. I have told this story and will tell it again and again through my career. I want to be a writer, because I want to help people. I want to make people feel that they belong, that someone out there cares about them, and that they can make it through whatever this world may shoot at them alive-- The world can fire, but one can evade the shots. I feel as if it is my duty to c...