Customer Reviews

Resonance

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I ask myself: where the hell did these guys come from? Where did I even find the song "Walk Away"? As I don't know the answers to these questions, I'll just go directly to the band. When I try and describe their sound, I can't really do the mixture thing (as I did with Finch), because the sound, although somewhat derivative, has very original touches. Hoobastank comes to mind, but not really, you know? They're not punk-rock, they're not nü-metal, they're just new rock. And they're very damn good, too.

Let's see... their radio-friendly single "Walk Away" is a great song, I recommend you download it. It begins with a powerful intro that puts the bands sound in a nice cardboard box. Two guitars working very well off each other, toned down as singer J. Lynn Johnston's soft and honest vocals take the center stage. The two guitars never stop working off each other as the song progresses. There are no explicit guitar solos, both take the stage to produce the rhythm, but they are equally powerful and neither upstages the other.

The only complaint I might have is that you may confuse or mix songs together in your head the first couple of times you hear the album. Songs like "Historypeats", "Kerosene" and "Burn", all exceptional songs, may sound alike upon the first listen. This, naturally, dissolves after several listens. I still can't place their sound with comparisons. Their guitars can resemble Lostprophets' often spacey trips, and at times it does sound like they're embarking on a nü-metal escapade. The closing riffs on "Time and Time Again" may remind you of our Welsh rockers or of TRUSTcompany. "Undefined Reversion", the mellow song that finishes Resonance, shows the bands capability to tone it down and provide a very moody and multifaceted song. It's all in how you listen to them. An overall great band.

Their performance at the House of Blues, while not very kindly accepted by the audience, was well worth my money. I hope to see these guys in the years to come, but this time, I hope they share the stage with bands with similar fanbases. Just a suggestion. But if you're interested in new rock bands with some genuine talent, don't hesitate to pick up Resonance. It's a great ride, hands down.

Recommendations: "Walk Away", "Historypeats", "Burn", "Kerosene", "Undefined Reversion"

"Walk Away" made its first appearance on the soundtrack and in the advertising for the dragon-slaying film "Reign of Fire" back in '02. At that time, I started listening to the album and was simply blown away. Time passed, I moved on, but just recently pulled the CD out and gave it a listen. Man, I remember exactly why I liked these guys to begin with. The vocals are simply beautiful, such a clean voice, but it's never weak and cheesy, it's always strong and heavy yet soft and simple. The guitar works simply rocks, the drums are sick, the bass is fat. Everything about this album makes me wonder why they never really hit it big, yet Incubus is allowed to release a stinky doodie like A Crow Left Of The Murder and Hoobastank has gotten so popular with a fart like The Reason. This album, almost two years before both Incubus and Hoobastank's current releases, shines high above. Listen to Burn, and if that doesn't get your blood flowing, check your pulse. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy the album as much as I did. Here's to the future and hopefully a new Mad At Gravity release.

The first time I ever heard of Mad at Gravity was on a radio show late at night. As soon as I heard the song Walk Away I was hooked. I went out and bought the album from a cd store around midnight after I heard the song, I was just that impressed. It seems I've been waiting for a band with Mad at Gravity's raw power for an eternity. Everything is perfect from the deep, powerful lyrics which are excellently delivered to the dynamic guitar parts. I remember hearing the song Say It and thinking, wow, just wow.

The bottom line is, I havent heard an album this good since Relationship of Command by At The Drive In. But to my hearts dismay, I found out Mad at Gravity broke up just as I got into them. Its just a shame that such a new and talented band had to seperate. But dont let that stop you from owning this album, or youll be kicking yourself later.

To be completely honest with you I have heard a LOT of good CD's from every type of music but there is something about Mad at Gravity that makes them stand out above all the others. Almost every song on the CD is catchy and gets stuck in your head, which for the first time is a good thing because u have decent music in ur head all day. Many other people have reviewed this at 5 stars and i dont want peopel to think we are being biased but it is the truth and this cd definitely deserves it. Every friend I have has been forced to listen to this cd and every one went out and bought the cd, im not joking. I was apalled at an earlier review that stated some rather unpleasant things about this cd but i suppose not every person can have a good taste in music. But I guess its what u would expect from someone who thinks all good msuic is trying to imitate Incubus. This cd blows away Incubus and almost every band that is played on the radio... im not exaggerating, its that damn good. Give it a try i promise u wont be diappointed in the least!

One of the things that struck me when listening to this album was the originality of the band. After reading the previous (bad) reviews, I wonder how one could say that this is been done before, almost like it is a sham. It seems that even Mad At Gravity has fallen victim to being one of the hundreds of rock bands that tasteless people compare to Incubus. It is just that these people cannot make good distinctions among bands, simply because they do not have an ear for music. Anyway, Resonance is an excellent CD, and I would highly recommend purchasing it (and I look forward to the next). Each song will stick in your head for a period of time, and that is why I haven't stopped listening to it.

Favorite Tracks (as of now):
-Find The Words
-Burn
-Kerosene
-Historypeats
-In Vain

So I went and saw the movie 'Reign Of Fire', since I work at a movie theater, and caught the end tracks during the credits...Come to find out that they were pretty dang cool...I'm cleaning theaters one day, and watch the credits, and find out that the tracks 'Burn' and 'Walk Away' are by this group called 'Mad At Gravity', and they're pretty flippin' awesome...Anywho, I look around everywhere to find this album, and eventually find it and listen to it, and I have to say...there's not ONE bad track on this album...I've listened to it AT LEAST fifty times in the last two and a half weeks, and I just can't stop! It's quite possibly the best album that I've ever heard...The replay value is through the roof, because you just never get tired of hearing any of the tracks, even the special non-vocal tracks, and the hidden part of the last track...I really hope these guys go on to making more albums, and don't sell out like all the rest of the really kickin' bands out there...also glad to see 'Walk Away' getting some radio airtime, seeing as I'm too poor to have a CD player in my car...A definite must-have for anyone's album collection...Rock on!

That title pretty much sums it up. This is such a good CD it's unreal. If you've heard anything about this band you might have heard some comparisons to Incubus. I think there are some similarities, but Mad at Gravity definitely have their own style. Just listen and you'll know what I mean. The vocals are amazing and the unique time signatures set this band apart. Every song on this CD has its own hook that will make you want to listen again. You will be hearing a lot from this band in the near future. I like this entire CD, but my favorites right now are "In Vain," "Kerosene," and "Undefined."

Based out of Orange County, California, the five-piece Mad At Gravity came into being in 2001 and features the lineup of vocalist J. Lynn Johnston, guitarist Anthony "Bosco" Boscarini, guitarist James Lee Barlow (previously worked with bassist Tye Zamora of Alien Ant Farm), bassist Ben Froelich, and former Pressure 4-5 (Dreamworks Records) drummer Jake Fowler. Following their inception, the group made an immediate impact on the music scene, quickly signing a deal with management company Freeze Management (Glassjaw, Amen, Vex Red, etc) followed by a 4-song demo that was mixed by Steve Evetts (Glassjaw, Lenny Kravitz, Sepultura), which soon led to a record deal with Artist Direct, a new, upstart record label that is headed by former ruler/founder of Interscope Records Ted Field. From there, Mad At Gravity teamed up again with producer Steve Evetts to record their debut album Resonance, which is set to drop on July 16, 2002.

Drawing from a wide variety of influences & passions and led by a dynamic combination of intelligent songwriting, innovative concepts and skilled musicianship, Mad At Gravity has crafted a compelling brand of atmospheric, modern rock that effortlessly bridges the gap between artistic creativeness, melodic sensibility, and commercial appeal. Style wise, Mad At Gravity can best be described as combining the dark, magnetism-like aura of A Perfect Circle with Incubus melodicism and creative ambition, accentuated by traces of The Color Red's emo-rock tendencies and Pulse Ultra's prog influences, though in truth, comparisons cannot accurately portray the ingenuity, beauty, and emotion behind the band's sound. Musically, lush, elaborate soundscapes are composed, dictated by the exquisite guitarplay of James Lee Barlow & Anthony Boscarini, whose dynamic display of effusive riffs, dramatic melodies and opulent effects beautifully clashes with the powerful, rhythmic-driven back-end of Ben Froelich & Jake Fowler. Brilliantly complementing the group's sound is frontman J. Lynn Johnston, an experienced singer/songwriter and noted poet, who delivers thought-provoking lyrics and rich, A Perfect Circle/Chevelle-like harmonics in a manner that is both stylishly elegant and emotionally sincere.

In a matter of months, Mad At Gravity went from shopping their first independent demo to demoing material for soundtrack purposes, and soon after, to recording their major-label debut, entitled Resonance. Comprised of 14 tracks, Resonance features both old and new material, led by the standout track and first single, Walk Away, a melodically driven anthem fueled by compelling choruses, and is one of the four tracks that is found on the initial 4-song demo, along with Burn, Find The Words and Kerosene, with both Walk Away and Burn featured in the major motion picture, Reign Of Fire. Focusing on the older material, it is apparent that Mad At Gravity had embraced their melodic side, crafting melodically imbued ballads that were marked by catchy harmonies & timeless choruses, as evidenced by the beautifully touching Burn, the more strident Kerosene, and the memorable Find The Words, while Historypeats, a song that was first written for soundtrack purposes, introduces a changing direction for the band, led by more dynamic craftsmanship, expanded vocal play, and more creative indulgences. Of the newer material, both the atmospheric In Vain and Letter To Myself with its catchy vocal harmonies stands out, while the erratic/punkish Time And Time Again and the contrasting Run For Cover ventures into more experimental territory. Rounding out the album is the groove-oriented This Collision, Say It, an Incubus/Hoobastank-like track, and the ethereal, ambient-driven ending ballad Undefined, while the opening intro Primer and Coalescence are abrupt instrumentals. As a whole, Resonance is a solid debut, though there seems to be a noticeable difference between the older & newer material, with the older recordings being overall, more accessible, appealing, and memorable, while the newer songs are more creative & diverse. Because of their unprecedented rise from upstart, independent band to exciting, new rock group on the verge of mainstream success, Mad At Gravity has eschewed the typical development stages that younger bands go through, and, as shown on this album, have yet to fully develop their own signature sound. Nevertheless, the music they have created is still dramatic and powerful, as it is timeless and beautiful, and with time to further explore their ideas & abilities, Mad At Gravity should easily emerge into their own identity...

I first heard Mat At Gravity on Reign Of Fire quite some time ago. The movie featured "Burn" and "Walk Away." I was instantly hooked. Too bad few people have heard of the movie or this band. If you like Chevelle or Tool, you'll probably like this band.

They broke up shortly after their debut cd. It shocked the hell out of me when I found out, but hey we still have this one good cd. J.Lynn Johnston needs to hurry up and start singing again.