Matt Pelissier

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Pelissier's role began when Gerard Way, inspired by witnessing the World Trade Center towers fall, decided to start a band. Way recruited Ray Toro as guitarist because Way could not sing and play guitar simultaneously. The first recording sessions took place in Pelissier's attic, where the songs "Our Lady of Sorrows" and "Cubicles" were recorded—sessions the band later called "The Attic Demos." After hearing the demo, Mikey Way dropped out of college and joined the band. Pelissier remained the drummer through the recording of the debut album, which was produced by Thursday frontman Geoff Rickly after the band became friends with him while playing shows in New Jersey. The album was released in 2002, and the band signed with Reprise Records on August 31, 2003. Their second album, *Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge*, was released on June 8, 2004. A month after that release, Pelissier was replaced by Bob Bryar.

In Their Own Story

In a cramped attic in New Jersey, Matt Pelissier set up his drum kit amid boxes and dust. Gerard Way, still shaken from watching the towers fall, stood before a microphone. Ray Toro plugged in his guitar. They had no plan, only a raw need to make something from the chaos. Pelissier's sticks hit the skins—a loud, unpolished crash that filled the small space. They recorded "Our Lady of Sorrows" and "Cubicles" right there, capturing a sound that was urgent and alive. Those attic sessions became the foundation of everything that followed, a moment when four people turned confusion into music.

Reader's Guide

Matt Pelissier was the drummer for My Chemical Romance from the band's formation in September 2001 until his replacement in July 2004. He played on the debut album *I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love* (2002), which was recorded just three months after the band formed. The album was released through Eyeball Records and produced by Geoff Rickly. Pelissier also performed on the band's second album, *Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge* (2004), their major-label debut on Reprise Records. A month after that album's release, Pelissier was replaced by Bob Bryar. His tenure covers the band's earliest period, including the "Attic Demos" and the initial rise in the New Jersey scene.

Did You Know?

• Matt Pelissier co-founded My Chemical Romance with Gerard Way in September 2001, shortly after the September 11 attacks.
• The first recording sessions took place in Pelissier's attic, producing songs 'Our Lady of Sorrows' and 'Cubicles'—known as 'The Attic Demos.'
• Pelissier was replaced by Bob Bryar one month after the release of *Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge* in 2004.
• He played on the band's debut album *I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love*, recorded just three months after the band formed.
• Pelissier was the drummer when the band signed with Reprise Records on August 31, 2003.