My Chemical Romance -- New Album 2010

Although they still haven't announced an official release date, New Jersey-based band My Chemical Romance is indeed planning on releasing a new 2010 album soon -- after a nearly four year absence from the mainstream music scene.

Last May, the group announced on their site that they would once again be heading back into their Los Angeles studio to work on their follow-up to 2006's 'The Black Parade,' and that they would be working with producer Brendan O'Brien, whose resume includes work with bands like AC/DC, Pearl Jam and Mastodon. Although the group hasn't yet announced a title for the album (much less a tracklist), they have revealed a few interesting details about how their new 2010 album might sound.

In a November interview with RockSound, lead singer Gerard Way said that that My Chemical Romance's new 2010 album would likely be their career defining work, adding that "A friend who heard the record recently said he now had no interest in listening to our older work anymore, that we had made all our old material redundant." Way also mentioned that MCR fans will receive their new record on multiple levels. "It is pretty safe to say that fans will not only enjoy this record more than any of our previous albums, but I also think they will get a clear picture from it, one that they will like," Way said. "It is more raw and honest and a better snapshot of the band."

In a more recent interview with RockSound, Way added that recording the album was "a huge challenge," since they "changed sweeping statements for bold gestures and tried to write massive songs without needing a marching band to fill them out. We tried to be honest and as loud as we could while being as plain as we could, our record is definitely not dumbed down it is just very very direct."

While the details of the group's new 2010 album remain somewhat hazy, one thing is for certain: fans shouldn't expect to see Bob Bryar onstage in any future MCR shows. In a post on his blog, guitarist Frank Iero said that the decision to part ways was "painful" and "not taken lightly," but confirmed that the drummer would no longer be with the group. As of yet, there has been no word on who will be replacing Bryar on the throne.