Sir Lord Baltimore
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1968 in Brooklyn, New York City, United States |
| Founder | John Garner |
| Headquarters | Brooklyn, New York City , United States |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Sir Lord Baltimore was a pioneering American rock and early heavy metal group originating from Brooklyn, New York City, established in 1968. The band consisted of John Garner on vocals and drums, Louis Dambra on guitar, and Gary Justin handling bass duties. Their debut album, Kingdom Come (1971), gained recognition from Creem magazine for containing the earliest recorded instance of the phrase "heavy metal" used to define a musical genre. According to AllMusic, they are considered "possibly America's first authentic heavy metal band." A notable characteristic of the band was having a lead singer who also performed drums, which was rare in rock and metal circles.
In 2006, Garner and Dambra reunited under the Sir Lord Baltimore name to release Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw, an album marked by explicit Christian-themed lyrics, a departure from their original material. Gary Justin had ceased his musical career and did not participate in this reunion. The band's activities concluded following Garner's death due to liver failure on December 5, 2015.
Early years
The trio—Garner (who founded the group), Dambra, and Justin—began practicing together in 1968 after meeting during their high school years. At that time, Dambra, performing as Louis Caine, was also involved with the band the Koala, which released an album in 1969. Justin acknowledged Cream’s Jack Bruce as an initial influence on his playing style.
Soon after their formation, they auditioned for talent scout Mike Appel, later known for managing Bruce Springsteen. Appel agreed to guide them and chose the name Sir Lord Baltimore, inspired by a character featured in the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. He co-produced their first album and contributed to its arrangements and lyric writing.
Their debut record, Kingdom Come, was laid down at Vantone Studios with engineer Nick Masse and co-producer Jim Cretecos. Further mixing and overdubbing were completed at Electric Lady Studios with famed engineer Eddie Kramer, renowned for his collaborations with Jimi Hendrix. During these sessions, members of Pink Floyd reportedly heard their work and offered praise.
Issued by Mercury Records in 1970, Kingdom Come delivered a rapid hard rock sound characterized by heavy guitar distortion and layered multi-tracking techniques that enhanced its sonic depth. This approach was groundbreaking compared to much of the rock music available at that time.
On February 19–20, 1971, Sir Lord Baltimore opened for Black Sabbath during their Paranoid tour at New York’s Fillmore East, sharing the stage with the J. Geils Band. They continued to support Black Sabbath on additional tour dates. A photograph taken during these Fillmore East performances was later featured on their 2006 reunion release, Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw.
Influence and aftermath
In May 1971, Mike Saunders, known for his work with Angry Samoans, penned a positive review of Kingdom Come for Creem magazine. He highlighted that Sir Lord Baltimore had mastered many fundamental heavy metal elements, marking one of the earliest documented uses of "heavy metal" as a genre descriptor.
Also released in 1971 via Mercury Records, their second album, Sir Lord Baltimore, adopted a slower tempo more typical of hard rock bands of that era. The lineup expanded to include Louis Dambra’s brother Joey Dambra as a second guitarist. The album featured "Where Are We Going," a studio track enhanced with audience noise to simulate a live performance.
Following this release, their popularity waned and Mercury Records dropped the group. The band attributed their decline to issues including substance abuse, poor sales figures, and unpaid royalties. In the mid-1970s, they began recording material for an unreleased third album; portions of this work were eventually incorporated into Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw.
In 1994, PolyGram reissued both Kingdom Come and Sir Lord Baltimore together on CD with a modified track order. Later in 2007, Anthology Recordings released a digital version of Kingdom Come.
The Japanese doom metal band Church of Misery covered "Master Heartache" on their 2009 release Houses of the Unholy.
Reunion
Nearly three decades after their split, Garner and Dambra came together once more to produce and independently release Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw in July 2006 through JG Records, distributed exclusively via mail order. Bass duties were primarily handled by Tony Franklin, while guitarist Anthony Guido and bassist Sam Powell contributed as guest musicians. The album's compositions were initially created for a shelved 1976 project but featured updated lyrics that conveyed a distinctly Christian viewpoint.
In 2007, Garner teamed up with Swedish guitarist Janne Stark to re-record "Woman Tamer," originally from their sophomore album. Plans to perform at the 2008 Sweden Rock Festival were ultimately abandoned due to financial constraints and other complications. Later in life, Dambra pursued pastoral work, assisting homeless families in Los Angeles until his passing in 2019.
Garner (born John Guarneri on February 2, 1952) passed away from liver failure on December 5, 2015, at the age of 63, marking the definitive conclusion of the band.
Members
- John Garner – vocals, drums (1968–1976, 2006–2015; deceased 2015)
- Louis Dambra – guitar (1968–1976, 2006–2007; deceased 2019)
- Gary Justin – bass (1968–1976)
- Joey Dambra – guitar (1970–1972)
Studio albums
| Year | Album | US Top 200 |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Kingdom Come | 198 |
| 1971 | Sir Lord Baltimore | – |
| 2006 | Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw | – |
Compilation albums
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1994 | Kingdom Come/Sir Lord Baltimore |
| 2020 | Complete Recordings 1970–2006 |
Singles
- "Hard Rain Fallin'" / "Lady of Fire" (1970)
- "Master Heartache" / "I Got a Woman" (1971)