The Lords of the New Church “The Method to Our Madness” 1984. We just picked up this LP, The Lords’ third release, this past weekend down in Indy at Square Cat Vinyl (besides hosting the most excellent Romanus Records Fest, it’s also a pretty great record store). Post punk goth led by Stiv Bator’s unique vocals, The Method to Our Madness also has a bit of a metal edge; it was produced by Chris Tsangarides who was best known for his work with artists like Judas Priest, Anvil and Thin Lizzy (he also collaborated with Depeche Mode). One of my favorite albums of from the goth genre has always been The Lord’s 1983 Is Nothing Sacred? so I’m always eager to acquire more Lords material. The Method to Our Madness is still dark and scuzzy but feels, overall, a bit more bright and enthusiastic in the delivery. Allmusic says about the release, “Although it was the Lords’ third release, The Method to Our Madness sounds more like a debut. The band is bursting with energy and the production, by Chris Tsangerides, is much rawer than that on The Lords of the New Church or Is Nothing Sacred? The opening salvo is “Method to My Madness,” a four-on-the-floor rocker with a vocal contribution by I.R.S. Records impresario Miles Copeland, who admonishes Stiv Bators, “Now don’t go tellin’ secrets/This record’s gotta sell!” After that, the aggression level stays pretty high, dipping only for a couple of ballads, “I Never Believed” and “When Blood Runs Cold” (the latter of which uses a string section; Stiv Bators and strings – who would have thought it?) The Method to Our Madness contains some of the Lords’ best non-hits: the sinister, sexy, bass-driven “Murder Style” and “The Seducer,” the tale of a figure who might be a messiah, might be an antichrist, probably not too far off from how Bators saw himself. The closer, “My Kingdom Come,” sounds like an ending, and it was; the Lords would never again record at full power before their split in 1988.”