| Musical Style: Hard Rock | Produced By: |
| Record Label: Independent | Country Of Origin: USA |
| Year Released: 2025 | Artist Website: Mad At The World |
| Tracks: 13 | Rating: 85% |
| Running Time: |
On its independently released ninth studio album Love & Despair, Mad At The World blends straightforward hard rock with moderate modern undertones. The project of brothers Roger (lead vocals, guitars & keyboards) and Randy (lead vocals & drums) Rose traces to Southern California when it was founded in 1987 ahead of releasing the ‘synth-pop’ of its Frontline Records first two albums, Mad At The World (1987) and Flowers in The Rain (1988). Mad At The World shifted to both a new label, Alarma Records, and new musical direction, hard rock better suited for live performances, for its 1990 and 1991 third and fourth releases Seasons Of Love (80% Angelic Warlord review) and Boomerang (also 80%). In 1992 the group returned to Frontline for its fifth album Through The Forest (80% review) while carrying over the hard rock inclining.
Mad At The World, drawing its name from 1 John 2:16 (love not the world, neither the things of the world), stuck with Frontline for remainder of the nineties but in alternative rock mode for follow up efforts The Ferris Wheel (1993) and The Dreamland Café (1995). Extended hiatus ensued until the group returned on Hindenburg Records in 2017 but once more in a ‘synth pop’ direction for eighth album Hope only to rebound with the much more satisfying hard rock sounds to Love & Despair.
Similar to previous releases, Love & Despair finds the brothers trading off vocally, with Roger unveiling a smooth, classic tenor style and Randy an earthy, middle register form. Outside of that, however, since the album - far as I can tell and at the time of this writing - is not available in a physical format I had to download it and received the music files only and no liner notes. Hence, I am unable to ascertain the specific instruments handled by each brother and any guest musicians accompanying them.
Cinematic opener “Love And Despair: Chapter One” highlights the ingenious Mad At The World songwriting. First two minutes are instrumental, as reticent keyboards give way to heavy rocking guitar that descends to piano, with the effect reminding me of opening to DeGarmo & Key’s “Livin’ On The Edge Of Dyin’” (off Straight On from 1979). Song is in ballad mode its remaining minute and half, as piano continues to lead the way alongside Beatlesque harmonies and Roger’s moving vocal performance.
It seems so complicated
Maybe its overrated
Is it unfair
When hearts are breaking
Loves the only way, loves the only way, loves the only way
Only way to change, only way to change, only way to change
Love & despair, I see it everywhere
So beautiful, so terrible
The Mad At The World hard rocking side reveals on “I Get To Live Another Day”. With cowbell and borderline metal guitars leading the way, song highlights Randy’s gravelly vocal acumen over a grounding of vigorous low end and mid-paced ambition that has sober sided written all over it. Final minute sees a breakdown to Psalm 118:24 - ‘This is the day the lord hath made I will be rejoice and be glad in it’ - ahead of a jolting lead guitar run.
“Love Lights The Way” hits hard as any of the Love & Despair material. It presents with bludgeoning Rez Band-like verse sections accented by ‘you don’t know’ phrasing and contrasting ascending refrain of a more melodic perspective. The elongated bluesy instrumental moments and delicate acoustic guitar that uphold the final minute hint of cool seventies classic rock influences.
Opening to ‘1-2 push it’ vocal phrasing, “Far Away” goes into metal mode as hulking riffs crush in and out of the mix to empower a raw and earthy straight on hard rock orienting. Refrain hits especially hard, as gravelly vocals collide with background harmonizing of a distant nature. Bride could not do it any better the bluesy lead guitar driven final minute.
“Two Kinds Of People” takes a commercial bearing, revealed in rhythm guitar emanating of a melodic hard rock meets AOR form and backend keyboards an atmospheric lacing. Grandiose in terms of harmonies but majestic from standpoint of the glamorous melody to command, song reveals potential to command FM radio if released in a different era. Closing moments home to piano and dissonant effects lend further appeal. Lyric snippet:
There’s two kinds of people in the world
Good, bad and they come in all colors
Love and hate is how they separate
Good, bad and they come in all colors
Love is the light that will lead us through the darkness
Love is the only way that will ever change
Love takes away all the fear and bitter poison
And gives us eyes so we can see
The seventies aspects return on “Lie To Me”. Song embodies the Mad At The World creative songwriting penchant, aligning a momentum driven Led Zeppelin like bounding groove with classic rock emboldened guitars and occasional Hammond B3 to make one of albums most inspired musical statements. Southern style harmonies even carry the instrumental moments. This one is worth the price of admission alone.
When the beauty starts to fade
And you start to look your age
You’re so tired of the truth
Because it burns inside of you
Won’t you lie, lie again,
Because there’s no life inside you
Oh, please won’t you lie to me
As is “Love And Despair: Chapter Two” in contrasting with the dramatic flair to ‘Chapter One’ in ranking with albums heaviest. It proves a fast paced and non-stop sledgehammer driven mauler, stern with its substantial low end and curtly woven refrain decidedly repeating the ‘love and despair’ title over chanted backing vocals. One cannot help but be drawn in by the endearing residuals.
Love and despair
See it everything
So beautiful, so terrible
Out in the night
Where the cold winds blow
I see you there
Love and despair
The highest hills we climb
The deepest valleys that we know
Never leave us alone
But life is beautiful, and love is waiting there for you
God’s give to you
“Hello Sad Refrain” decelerates to a bluesy and groove driven mid-tempo rollick. It proves laid back and relaxed, mirroring of an inventive melodic hard rock burnishing, but also moody and emotional, bursting of melancholia inspired guitar weavings and a disconsolate melody. This one finds brothers Rose at the top of their respective games. Lyric snippet:
Can you hear it
Down in your soul
No words are spoken
But deep inside you know
This place of sorrow
Where nothing shines
Can’t see tomorrow
I feel left behind
So hello sad refrain
So good to see you again
After opening to eight songs of near equal quality, Love & Despair dips over its next two. It’s not that “I Turn Bleu”, a laid back modern rocker with a reserved guitar mix, and “Hope Found Hope”, of similar restrained modern form, are bad, but rather neither connect with me. Perhaps it is due to each losing me from being modern to fault or on the plain side compared to albums better material, but I tend to pass.
Love & Despair gets back on track with its final three cuts beginning with “If You Don’t Know God”. Song is straightforward and direct as its title, returning to a heavier direction with its unabashed framework and no-nonsense bearing as riffs hit with authority and lyrics take a too the point stance:
You’re walking down this road of life alone
There’s only emptiness and deep despair
You’re spinning around just like a Ferris wheel
But you don’t even know just what is real
If you don’t’ know God (repeat three times)
You don’t know anything
Every knee shall bow before the king
And every tongue confess His majesty
“What Do You Do” might not hit hard as some here with its melodic undercurrents, but it is essential all the same. It emanates its length with a festive and blithe feel, partial to the upbeat in an almost pop based sense but also driving in light of the pleading undercurrents and melodies to converge. Interestingly, somber feedback briefly takes over to close.
Talk about saving your best for last with the progressive nuances joining of back-to-back ballads “Here We Go Again/Love Never Ends”. Former lithely sweeps to piano and exquisite tincturing until heavy rocking guitar sweeps in to make a luxuriant Neal Morse-like statement. An effortless transition to latter two and half minutes in, as the elegant layering carries over in the form of echoing melodies, graceful singularities and continuously repeated ‘love never ends, love never ends, love never fails’ refrain.
Love & Despair equates to my favorite of the Mad At The World hard rock albums. Predicator is the creative songwriting to feature in my opinion 11 finely honed tracks on near equal level to highlight the groups well crafted and at times outside the box propensity. Give credit brothers Rose in such regard when further factoring fitting vocal performances and strong musicianship. Lone misgiving is that at 13 songs track listing is a bit excessive and perhaps deserves cut by a song or two. I would like to see the album made available on CD and vinyl as well. Regardless, if a Mad At The World, Love & Despair is certain not to disappoint.
Review by Andrew Rockwell
Track Listing: “Love And Despair: Chapter One” (3:38), “I Get To Live Another Day” (3:35), “Love Lights The Way” (5:05), “Far Away” (5:07), “Two Kinds Of People” (5:20), “Lie To Me” (3:57),”Love And Despair: Chapter Two” (3:52), “Hello Sad Refrain” (4:32), “I Turn Bleu” (2:53), “Hope Found Hope” (3:28), “If You Don’t Know God” (3:48), “What Do You Do” (4:26), “Here We Go Again/Love Never Ends” (5:53)
Musicians
Roger Rose - Lead Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards & Synthesizers
Randy Rose - Lead Vocals, Drums & Percussion
