Gerard Way says My Chemical Romance were accused of being "a death cult."
The former MCR frontman says much of the band’s music came from youthful anger and frustration – which in turn attracted a lot of aggression and suspicion.
He tells Kerrang: “I’m incredibly proud of My Chemical Romance and I’m so happy with what we accomplished, but a lot of what My Chemical Romance was about was coming from a place of aggression and youth and anger and frustration.
“That attracts an energy, and you carry that energy with you all over the world. I remember touring on the The Black Parade and everywhere we went, the combative energy that would surround the band was big.
“Not within the band, but from external things, like people you’d run into in the street who thought we were a death cult. It attracted a lot of aggression. I think it was an important band that changed things, but it attracted a certain thing.”
Way recently launched his solo career with debut album Hesitant Alien and says he’s writing from a much more settled place now.
He adds: “I think now I’m not carrying around damage. I don’t think these songs are written from a place of damage. It feels lighter, everything feels more free.”
