Mad at the World
Irvine, California9 reviews across 6 releases
Mad at the World is a Southern California Christian rock band formed in 1987 by brothers Roger and Randy Rose, initially built around Roger's home-recorded interest in synthpop and new wave. The early records used drum machines, sequencers, and a British-accented vocal style; Flowers in the Rain added loud electric guitar without abandoning the electronic foundation. By Seasons of Love, live drums and guitars had replaced the programmed pulse, producing a rougher, more passionate hard-rock sound. Boomerang reduced that attack to bare-bones rock, with acoustic guitars prominent, while Through the Forest pushed back toward heavier riffing and recast an earlier dance song as guitar rock. The band's later turn was softer: The Dreamland Cafe drew on Beatlesque psychedelia, bright pop, and art-rock color, with dreamy melodies taking priority over heaviness.
Mike Pendleton and Brent Gordon left in 1992, after which Mike Link and Ben Jacobs joined the band. The original run ended in 1998, when KMG issued World History, a fourteen-song collection whose altered mixes and remasters made some older songs slower and slicker while reducing their edge. Mad at the World then went quiet for nearly two decades. Roger and Randy Rose reunited in 2017 and released Hope, an electronic-leaning album financed through crowdfunding. A further post-reunion album, Love and Despair, appeared in 2025.
6 releases reviewed
Flowers in the Rain
Seasons of Love
Boomerang
Through the Forest
The Dreamland Cafe
World History