On June 6th, popular emo rock band My Chemical Romance released an updated version of their breakthrough album Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. The reissue commemorates the 21st anniversary of the original 2004 release, and fans have been excited to celebrate this milestone. But how new does the reissued album actually sound? And are re-releases in general worth the (usually) high cost of limited edition vinyl, CDs, and merchandise?
There’s definitely a lot to address when it comes to taking stock of multiple editions of the same album with, more or less, the same songs. But first, let’s get into the cultural importance of the My Chemical Romance release.
Three Cheers at a glance
Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge (2004) was My Chemical Romance’s second studio album, and the first to gain the band widespread recognition. While fans now appreciate their debut album I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love (2002) as an underrated classic, the critics gave it very little attention upon release.
Then, Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge changed the game. Reviews from 2004 generally considered this release the be far more tuneful, catchy, cohesive, and well-produced than the previous record. While MCR was not yet at the level of fame they’d reach after 2006’s The Black Parade, they were now a band to keep your eyes on.
Kerrang! Magazine’s 2004 review of Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge called it “screamo punk aggression of the most passionate order.” Daniel Lukes, the original reviewer, ultimately declared that the band had “the potential to go deep and far.”
And Lukes was absolutely correct.
(Kerrang! in particular would go on to report on My Chemical Romance and their releases extensively throughout the next two decades.)
Legacy songs, stories, and music videos
While the album contained several immediately iconic tracks, the shining star of Three Cheers was “I’m Not Okay (I Promise).”
This loud, sarcastic, and rage-filled anthem quickly became an emo classic. To this day, it remains one of the band’s top three most listened-to songs. If you go to any emo-themed party worth its salt, you’ll definitely hear this one on the playlist.
The music videos for “I’m Not Okay” and two other Three Cheers hits (“The Ghost of You” and “Helena”) kept fans hooked on this up-and-coming band. MCR has a tendency to go all-out on the storytelling in their music videos, and these three are no exception. In fact, they started it all.
Casting themselves as outcast high schoolers (“I’m Not Okay”), World War II soldiers (“The Ghost of You”), and funeral pallbearers (“Helena”), the band introduced new meanings and contexts to their already concept-rich songs. In online spaces, fans still discuss the characters, narratives, and symbolism introduced in these videos today.
All that to say, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge is a highly beloved album. But what about the reissue?
A 21st birthday to remember
My Chemical Romance did a great deal of promotion leading up to the deluxe release of Three Cheers on June 6, 2025. The three aforementioned music videos released again in 4K, and the band put new merchandise for the reissued album on their website. This succeeded in stirring curiousity and excitement for the 21st anniversary reissue.
Especially since MCR fans have had very little new music recently. While the group’s most recent new song (“The Foundations of Decay”) came out in 2022, the band technically has not released a full-length original album since 2010’s Danger Days.
Though the reissue of Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge is not a new album, it’s still a novel, refreshing way to engage with a classic.
How Does the 2025 Reissue Sound?
Three Cheers reissued has essentially the same track list as the original release, with four additions. None of the extra four tracks are actually new songs. However, they are previously unheard live renditions of “I’m Not Okay (I Promise),” “Helena,” “The Ghost of You,” and “You Know What They Do To Guys Like Us in Prison.”
The live tracks have real charm and nostalgia to them. A few include some brief clips of dialogue at the beginning or end of a track. The live version of “Prison” in particular has a fun, choppy beginning that feels almost like you’re watching the band during an informal practice session. Forget “Manchild” by Sabrina Carpenter —for me, this is the song of the summer.
Producer and music engineer Rich Costey is responsible for the remixes of all the other tracks. In general, the new versions of these songs sound sharper, clearer, and more refined.
The Reason for the Remix
The balance between the music and the vocals on Three Cheers (2025) is a lot more even overall. While some fans have questioned the need for a reissue of Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, others have pointed out that the original album was not well mastered.
Four years ago, a reddit user by the name of u/TopConcern wrote a detailed post on the reasons for this. They attribute the “fatiguing” nature of the original mix to the Loudness War.
Basically, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, audio engineers were mastering music with the goal of loudness alone. Louder music allegedly sold better, so producers would continually make their albums louder than those of their competitors. However, when music is mastered to be loud, the recording loses some nuance along the way.
This is why some of the vocals, bass, and drum parts on the Three Cheers remaster seem to pop more. Costey’s mix of these songs keeps quality and intricacy in mind, not just pure volume.
So, what’s really different?
Granted, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge (2025) will not sound vastly different from Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge (2004) if you’re someone who hasn’t listened to the original very frequently.
As a long time My Chemical Romance fan, I can tell you that I do prefer the new version. I find one of my highlights to be the remix of the album’s second song, “Give ‘Em Hell, Kid.” Though not everyone online would agree, I love the new distorted intro and the brief inclusion of extra lyrics at the beginning. I never listened to “Give ‘Em Hell, Kid” much before, but it’s recently become a favorite of mine.
Something that has been rather unanimous, though, is the appreciation for the new album’s inclusion of a smooth transition between “The Ghost of You” and “This Jetset Life Is Gonna Kill You.” This is semi-absent from the original album. It was present on vinyl and CD recordings, though it was cut from some digital versions, including the one on Spotify. But this beloved transition is back, and it’s better than ever.
Cash-Grab or Commemoration?
A lot of the discussion around the reissue has related to whether or not it’s actually worthwhile for fans. MCR have certainly been making a lot of money off of it. With their upcoming “Long Live” tour beginning in July of this year, it’s natural to wonder if the band only remastered Three Cheers for the press attention. (I mean, the official hoodie is selling for an absurd $90 on their website).
With artists like Taylor Swift selling up to 36 variants of a singular album, it’s smart to be wary of when musicians are just being egregious with their releases. Not to mention, there’s already have a live version of Three Cheers — Life on the Murder Scene (2006).
Still, the 2025 reissue has been pretty popular. Though many fans still prefer the original, the new version has actually gotten the band back to No. 1 on the Official U.K. Rock & Metal Charts. So, even if this remaster was a publicity move, the album is now being enjoyed globally in an unprecedented way. And that’s something any MCR fan can be happy about.
In the end, there’s some validity to the complaints against the Three Cheers remaster. Even though I personally am obsessed with the new version, I recognize the preferences of the fans who feel connected to the original and betrayed by the remixes.
And don’t get me wrong, I definitely hope the band’s next release is something 100% new. There’s only so many deluxe editions I’ll let them get away with. But Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge Summer has been incredible so far, and I’m so glad this album is having its renaissance. Go ahead and give the 2025 version a listen and see what you think. Just don’t be like me and impulse-buy the vinyl when you don’t even own a record player.
