Flying  
Artist: Grammatrain  
Label: ForeFront 

Something old, something new, something rock and roll and blue; or something like that, right? Grammatrain rocks with a new sonic feel and an old familiarity. This hard working band could be the poster boys for the new grunge sound. They're a big sounding three-piece group with a mind toward ministry. The songs are well crafted and recorded effectively. This record is right up the alley of fans of melodic grunge and definitely worth checking out. 

by Tony LaFianza 

We have all heard the comments about sophomore releases. Flying by Grammatrain is a pleasant exception. This three-piece modern rock band from Seattle has really put together a tight album. There is a lot of aggressive guitar work with strong vocals. The lyrics are thoughtful and use a lot of imagery. Only, why is everyone using this bottle rocket imagery? First there was Guardian, then Dime Store Prophets used it, and now Grammatrain. Enough already! That said, it's still a cool song. If you haven't given Grammatrain a try or, like me, weren't thrilled with their first effort, give Flying a listen. -----Shari Lloyd 

Too bad reincarnation isn't a Christian doctrine, because if it was I'd say we have the rebirth of Soundgarden here! Actually, this time around the similarity is only strong on a couple songs (the first track could fool any Chris Cornell fan easily).  Despite their lack of originality, they've got my vote for the best Christian grunge band ever.  They've got passion and a totally authentic sound (no CCM cheese here).  While this album has a better, cleaner production, not as many songs stick out in my mind like the ones from Lonely House.  This is one of those albums full of songs that if you heard them separately you'd think they were great, but when you listen to the whole thing at once you get bored about halfway through.  Still a good buy!-----Josh Spencer 

How do I rate this one? Very strong music. Good lyrics. Great production. Overall, this is a quality second release.  Grammatrain beats out both Skillet and Common Children as my favorite Seattle-sounding band, but I can't figure out why!  They have definitely grown up as a band. The sound is more mature, the musicianship better.  Otherwise, it sounds like Lonely House . . . only more so (well, THAT cleared it up). 
  
So why don't I give this a rave review?  Because there is simply nothing amazing, incredible, or outstanding about Flying.  Ten minutes after the disc stops, I can't recall a single song.  If I saw this in my collection a week later, I'd say to myself, "When did I pick this up?"  There's nothing memorable about this album.  It's forgettable.-----Mark Aylor 
 
 

Grammatrain hail from Seattle, and listening to this album that comes as no surprise.  Their sound is certainly grunge - and this is possibly the best example of that genre that I've heard on a major CCM label.  
 
The instrumentalists are all strong, and the sound is tight.  There is a fair bit of variation in the songs, although they stick with a familiar structure.  The songwriting is good, mixing a wide range of themes together - occasionally dark but usually juxtaposed with hope.  

My problem with this album, as with much grunge, is that there seems to be very little development from the standard sounds of the genre.  It is often good stuff that I enjoy listening to, but I've heard it before. A little more diversity would go down well with me.  To be fair, though, I've heard albums much more generic than this one.-----James Stewart