Mad At The World returned in 1988 to continue their brand of techno-rock music. On the album Flowers in the Rain, the guitars are much more aggressive and the songs provide more variation from one song to the next. This album was often thought of as a techno-alternative album that pleased fans of all kinds since it provided music for individuals who were into dance, ballads, rock, and even some metal. No member changes transpired as Roger Rose, Randy Rose, and Mike Pendleton all reappear, yet, this project remains another surprise from the band.

"Fearfully and Wonderfully" is a fairly slow song that easily invites the listener to the album before the more aggressive music takes place, and it deals with the issues of an individual's self-evaluation, "Some say true beauty is not seen with our eyes/ Look to the heart where the true beauty lies/ Fearfully and wonderfully/ You're created perfectly/ but we always want to be somebody else other than ourselves/ Fearfully and wonderfully/ God created you and me/ Exactly what He wants to see." "Flowers in the Rain" is a nice little track that introduces a change in MATW's sound, which can be comparative to The Cure, only with more intensity. "Holding the Puppet Strings" implies that we shouldn't allow ourselves to be controlled by others and to trust in God for Faith. Roger's voice will bring remembrances of INXS's Michael Hutchinson when he yells throughout the song.

"No Mistakes" is a very beautiful song that focuses on God's plan for life and provides a great inspiration for those who may be feeling like they are worthless. "Wait" is a fast song where we begin to see Roger start change his voice with a more natural feel while drifting more away from an English Accent. "Faith Is A Perfect Road" is certainly one of the highlights on the album as it projects that type of sound that one can envision hearing in a dance club right along with any Depeche Mode tune. The album goes from upbeat dance to a more dark subject matter, such as finding out what it's like not going to heaven with "In My Dream." The song really gives the listener chills if they just focus on the lyrics even though the song properly sets the tone. "This Lie" starts out with an interesting variation in the lyrics of the famous nursery rhyme "London Bridge is Falling Down," and changes to "All are sins are here to stay/ Here to stay/ All our sins are here to stay/ here to stay/ and nothing changes/ Never will they go away/ go away/ go away/ Never will they go away and nothing changes." "This Lie" illustrates how people use the excuse that they will never change their habits. "Dancing on Your Grave" is a surprise by introducing Randy Rose on lead vocals, which matches the aggressiveness in this song quite perfectly.

Some could argue that the album is part two of their self-titled album, but Flowers in the Rain creates an atmosphere with good stability of drums, guitars, and keyboards. This second album from MATW remains truly unique with more innovation than the first project and should be included in anyone's collection that may lean to include some techno-alternative with a little more variety.

- Review date: 4/23/07, written by Wayne Myatt for Jesusfreakhideout.com