"The Method to Our Madness" is the third studio album by the British-American rock band the Lords of the New Church, released in November 1984 by I.R.S. Records. It was also the last album to feature the band's original lineup, which included Stiv Bators, Brian James, Dave Tregunna, and Nick Turner. The album peaked at #158 on the US Billboard 200.
For its 1985 US release, the album was remixed and had strings added to the track "When Blood Runs Cold." The US version also replaced the track "Fresh Flesh" with "S.F. & T.," which was the B-side of the "Murder Style" 12" single.
Regarding the album's musical direction, Bators reflected in 1985 that when the band first got together, there was a mixture of their different personalities, and they didn't know what they were supposed to sound like. Over time, they discovered different styles they could explore, but on The Method to Our Madness, they had finally found a unified direction. However, the process of creating the album wasn't as smooth as their first two albums, which had been self-produced. Brian James noted that while their earlier albums had gone "really, really well," The Method to Our Madness was more of a struggle. The band's record company, I.R.S., also wanted to bring in an outside producer because they felt the band was "losing its dynamic a bit."
The album was produced by Chris Tsangarides, a seasoned producer who had worked with hard rock bands like Thin Lizzy, Gary Moore, and Tygers of Pan Tang. The recording took place at Miraval Studios, where French jazz pianist Jacques Loussier contributed to the album. Former Manfred Mann member Mike Hugg played keyboards on the album, and the Lords’ longtime session and touring keyboardist Matt Irving, also from Manfred Mann's Earth Band, contributed to the album's sound. The band's manager and label boss, Miles Copeland, made a cameo appearance on the track "Method to My Madness," speaking a few lines.
Despite the challenges in its creation, The Method to Our Madness marks a significant chapter in the Lords of the New Church's musical evolution, representing a more settled and refined direction for the band after their earlier experimental period.
