The shadow of the Rolling Stones, the classic role model
for bands who embrace rock's scuzzy, dangerous, vaguely satanic side, looms
large over Lords of the New Church's second album. The influence of Mick Jagger
on Stiv Bators' lippy, sneering delivery has never been more apparent. Brian
James emulates Keith Richards' rhythm-oriented guitar parts, leaving Dave
Tregunna's bass as the lead instrument. Nicky Turner may not be Charlie Watts
(who is?), but he provides a dependable backbeat. Is Nothing Sacred? even
offers such Stones-y song titles as "Black Girl White Girl,"
"Goin' Downtown," and "Partners in Crime." You'd hope this
was a conscious homage, but it sounds more like the Lords were having trouble
deciding on a direction and fell back on old habits. Still, if Is Nothing
Sacred? were a Stones album, it'd be a pretty good one, well played and
entertaining throughout. "Dance with Me" (funky, slinky, and
goth-tinged with lyrics that invoke voodoo and bondage) is one of the Lords'
best songs and, coincidentally, one of their biggest hits. "Live for
Today," a surprisingly straight cover of the Grass Roots classic with
slick production and keyboards by Todd Rundgren, closes the album on an
uplifting though incongruous note. As a follow-up to the Lords' promising
debut, Is Nothing Sacred? isn't a disaster, but it is a small step backward
rather than forward.
