MATW is a Christian band formed in 1987 in Southern California by brothers Roger and Randy Rose.  They have released eight studio albums, one retrospective album, and two multi-disc reissues.  Their musical styles varied over the years, beginning with electronic synthpop on their first two albums Mad at the World and Flowers in the Rain.  Then, in order to have a sound more amiable for live performances, the band's musical style shifted to hard rock on Seasons of Love, Boomerang, and Through the Forest. The next two albums The Ferris Wheel and The Dreamland Café have an alternative rock sound to them, with Dreamland having more of a retro 60's, power pop style of music.  Their latest album Hope brought back the synthpop sound with new, innovative music.

Benjamin Jacobs went to be with the Lord on August 21, 2023. Throughout the years, Ben was lead guitarist of the bands Mad at the World, Rose, The Jolly Lamas, and Rockin' the Standards. He was also a devoted Christian, husband, and father. He left a legacy of meaningful friendship and music. He will be missed. He is now enjoying the music of the angels with his Lord Jesus Christ. Ben played on the MATW album The Ferris Wheel, and one lyric from it stands out: "...I'll meet you there inside of Heaven's gate."

Randy Rose's new album The Masquerade is available now! This album rocks! You need to check it out ASAP. Randy put in a lot of his blood, sweat, and tears to complete this album. It was a long process since 2018, but is well worth the wait. Also available is a supplemental album called The Masquerade Sessions - Rarities & Demos. This will include b-sides from The Masquerade as well as different versions of classic Rose songs. Check out The Masquerade here.

Check out these podcasts featuring interviews with Randy Rose! Randy discusses the origins of MATW and Rose. He also talks about his new album The Masquerade, the recording process, and his new partnership with the record label Behold Industries.

Imaginary Music: Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Backstage With Mothership: Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

The Johnny Tacos Show: Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Recently unearthed is an interview of Roger Rose from the Crosswalk radio show that was broadcast on June of 1987. Brian Quincy Newcomb asked Roger questions, and these questions and Roger's answers were interspersed with a few songs from the debut album.  Roger discusses the debut recording, comparisons to Depeche Mode, his song "Taking the Easy Way Out," and the name of his band. This interview, sans music, can be found on YouTube using this link.

Between 1987 and 1995, MATW released seven studio albums under the Frontline/Alarma label: Mad at the World, Flowers in the Rain, Seasons of Love, Boomerang, Through the Forest, The Ferris Wheel, and The Dreamland Café.  In 1998, a greatest hits/retrospective album titled World History was released under the KMG label.  In that same year, KMG also released two multi-disc reissues -- the first included Mad at the World and Seasons of Love, and the second included Flowers in the Rain and Boomerang.  Over the years various MATW songs have also been featured on a number of promos, samplers, and compilations.  In 2017, MATW released Hope on the independent Hindenburg label.

The MATW YouTube channel contains music videos, concert footage, and interviews.  The two official music videos are for the songs "Dancing on Your Grave" and "Eyes of Heaven."  The concert footage includes sets from venues such as the Cornerstone Festival (in Bushnell, Illinois) and a location in northern Texas. Also included is a two-part interview from 1993 on the Real Videos television show.

Roger Rose - vocals, guitars, keyboards, synths (1987 - present)
Randy Rose - vocals, drums, percussion (1987 - present)
Ben Jacobs - lead & rhythm guitars (1993 - 1995)
Mike Link - bass (1993 - 1995)
Mike Pendleton - bass, guitar, percussion (1987 - 1992)
Brent Gordon - lead & rhythm guitars (1990 - 1992)

Ray Rose - bass, guitar (1988 - 2017)
Matt Bovett - keyboards (2017)
Kit Bovett - drum programming (2017)
Jason Squire - cello, flute (1995)
Matt Duffy - guitar (1995)
Julia Rose [live shows] - keyboards, tambourine (1995)

Check out the MATW archives that include digital copies of magazine articles, interviews, promotional materials, photos, and more! This is a good resource to learn more about the history of the band.

Connect with other MATW fans!  What is your favorite MATW album?  Is there a particular song that speaks to you?  Was there a memorable concert that you attended?  Do you want to share the URL of your own webpage?  Sign the guestbook and share a message with us all!

Click on the banners above to explore other bands that MATW members have been involved in.  Randy Rose formed the metal band Rose in which he is the vocalist, Ben Jacobs was a guitarist, and Mike Link was the bassist.  Randy also formed Mothership and worked on other side projects (which can be explored in the Mothership banner as well.)  Ben Jacobs formed the band the Jolly Lamas in which he is the vocalist/guitarist, and he is also the vocalist/guitarist in the band Rockin' the Standards.