When it comes to the birth of heavy metal and hard rock, the obvious acts to namecheck are British legends such as Sabbath, Purple and Zeppelin, but delving further back, and across the ocean, Blue Cheer were definitely forging their own brand of heavyosity at the tail end of the 1960s. However, one band of gonzoid proto-metal, stoner rockers who were able to give Blue Cheer a run for their money are the cult power trio, Sir Lord Baltimore.
Hailing from Brooklyn in New York, Sir Lord Baltimore were formed in 1968 by drumming lead vocalist John Garner, lead guitarist Louis Dambra, and bassist Gary Justin. The 1971 review in Creem magazine of their debut album has been cited as the first published use of the term “heavy metal” to describe a style of music.
