Search - Lords of the New Church :: Lords of the New Church

From the front lines...

Robert Franssen | Santa Monica, CA USA | 01/24/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I actually saw the Lords more than 20 times live in LA from Magic Mountain to the Music Machine and got the rare opportunity to visit Stiv in the recording studio while doing "Have Love will Travel". Believe me that he would be rolling over in his French grave being labelled "Goth", whatever that may mean to some. The Lords were a great "Rock'n'Roll" band born out of the roots of the punk rock scene here in LA. They were fun, irreverent and fantastic to watch live. Their first album was born of Stiv's desire to move on to a band that could capture the imagination like the Dead Boys had previously. His tongue was firmly planted in his cheek and his hand in his pants."

If I could only have 10 albums on a desert island...

William Manley | wheaton, il United States | 05/15/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's an album I have never stopped listening to since I first bought it. It is darkly poetic, it is scathing, it is angry, it is imaginative. This is an example of the brilliance that can erupt when a band is all on the same page. There is not a throw away track on the cd. No, these are not ALL brilliant songs, but you will not find yourself routinely hitting the fast forward button on your remote. The standouts on here I contend are not just standouts on the disc, but standouts in alternative/punk/goth...whatever it is you want to lable this band that did not want to be labled. "OPEN YOUR EYES"...Jesus...this song is 20 years old and it is just as meaningful today as it was when Reagan was in office. It will depress you at just how little things change. The word plays show that Bators (or Bator depending on how the stars were alligned) was not some punk dope, but a very clever musician. "HOLY WAR"...the Catholic Boy gives it to the Pope but good.
THe musicianship is outstanding. Great guitar riffs, basslines, throbbing drumb beats. The atmosphere is often dark and clammy. The Lords pull off one of the only song covers in music that surpasses an original...their version of QUESTION OF TEMPERATURE kicks Balloon Farm's ...!
Yes friends, this is one of the few albums out there worth PAYING for."

Paving a Path in the Post-Punk Period

Mr. Richard D. Coreno | Berea, Ohio USA | 09/10/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In the rubble left after punk rock went from a musical revolution to a pop culture fashion statement, a supergroup emerged that had significant relevance.



Stiv Bators, Brian James, Dave Tregunna and Nicky Turner cranked out high-energy and intriguing material in this surprising 1982 debut. The power the band had in its live shows to promote the release is not compromised in the studio, with The Church used to open and close the excellent sets.



Lil' Boys Play With Dolls is a salute to the legendary New York Dolls, while Russian Roulette, Portobello and Apocalypso finds the group paving a new path in the post-punk era.



With the focus clearly on the music, the band clearly shows that there was life (before and) after Sid, safety pins and ripped T-shirts."