SIR LORD BALTIMORE — Kingdom Come (review)

SIR LORD BALTIMORE — Kingdom Come album cover

Album · 1970 · Heavy Metal

4/5 · 2015-09-08
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Mike Saunders is sometimes known as the guy who coined the term heavy metal to describe a sub genre of rock. A music critic, Saunders used the term derisively for the first time in a scathing review of Humble Pie's 1970 release "As Safe As Yesterday Is", referring to the music as, "noisy, unmelodic, heavy metal-laden shit rock". Several months later, the term seemed more complimentary when he wrote that Sir Lord Baltimore, "seemed to have down pat every heavy metal trick in the book". Indeed, it is written somewhere on the web that while other bands may have had their music referred to as heavy metal, the Mike Saunders review of Sir Lord B in the May 1971 issue of Creem is the oldest extant publication using the term. Other contemporary artists to have been called heavy metal include Grand Funk Railroad and Dust.

If being heavy metal meant playing loud, aggressive guitar-driven rock with bellowing vocals then Sir Lord Baltimore, for better or for worse, certainly earned the label. Drummer/vocalist John Garner had a voice that one fan described as "so bad it's good". Unlike GFR's Mark Farner whose singing voice was a powerful blend of rock and soul, Garner almost shouted from the back of his throat like a blues artist whose larynx had all but quit and they only way to get the words out was through barks, shouts, and phlegm-choked bellows. (It's interesting to note that Bloodrock's Jim Rutledge also sang from the drum stool until he was encouraged to take the mic up front.)

Completing the SLB line up were guitarist Louis Dambra and bassist Gary Justin. Formed in Brooklyn, New York in 1968 and, heavily influenced by the heavier British bands of the time, the three lads began putting together their own brand of heavy rock. By the time they began recording, they had the guitar distortion turned way up and even added some to the bass at times. Guitars were multi-tracked to enhance the sound, something that was uncommon practice at the time.

The album features mostly driving, aggressive R&B-based rock with many elements of early metal. Don't expect any twelve-bar-blues numbers though. The drums hit hard, the guitars are loud and wailing, and the vocals are as stated above with some noted accents on some words for a hard rock theatrical effect.

Two songs to stand apart are the harpsichord / acoustic guitar ballad "Lake Isle of Innersfree" and the title track "Kingdom Come". The latter number is slow and heavy, sounding closer to early heavy metal with its more doom-laden sound in contrast to the demolishing rock and roll tunes of the rest of the album. My only beef with this song is that is gets a little repetitive over its 6:35 course. I prefer the annihilating heavy rock of the other 8 tracks.

Sir Lord Baltimore's debut illustrates one aspect of the American take on heavy rock in 1970. Along with bands like Grand Funk, Bloodrock, Dust, and Bang we can get an idea of how the early days of heavy metal sounded, when the term was just starting to be thrown around. Of course, across the Atlantic the British bands were creating their own version of heavy metal rock. I can't help but feel excited to think about how our beloved genre was coming together here at the start of the new decade in 1970.