Last week was a big week for the return of huge artists: Kendrick Lamar finally dropped Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers and My Chemical Romance surprisingly released their first new song in eight years.

‘The Foundations of Decay’ was MCR’s first piece of new music since 2014’s ‘Fake Your Death’, taken from their greatest hits compilation May Death Never Stop You.

Even the most diehard fan probably thought that the song was released to get everyone excited for their long-awaited reunion tour, but new merchandise spotted on the tour may be hinting at something bigger.

Several attendees have posted pictures of the merch on social media, showing shirts, posters, and banners with the word “SWARM” over artwork of a fly (see below).

Could Swarm be the title of their hugely-anticipated fifth album? ‘The Foundations of Decay’ does feature the line “and as the swarming calls, we lay in the foundations”, but it’s nice to dream. As MCR’s reunion tour progresses, the true meaning of “SWARM” should become clearer. We’ll keep you posted when we know more.

The emo icons are currently in England on tour, with the Australian and New Zealand leg set to begin next year. Originally set to visit Australia as part of the Download Festival in March 2020, COVID-19 restrictions soon saw the festival put on ice. MCR tried in vain to make their Australian tour work, with a run of dates even announced earlier this year for March 2022.

However, the band were forced to explained that, due to the “uncertainty regarding international border restrictions and indoor venue capacity limits”, their first visit to the country since 2012 would now have to take place almost exactly three years after it was first supposed to occur.

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Kicking off in Brisbane on March 13th, 2023, the tour will visit also visit Melbourne and Sydney, with two shows scheduled in each city. Before Australia, MCR will play The Outer Fields at Western Springs in New Zealand on March 11th, 2023.

For more on this topic, follow the Emo Observer.

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