The 1970’s were a crazy time in music; a lot of things were
happening all at once in the rock universe. By 1972, Led Zeppelin was already
known as the “biggest band in the world” and the Grateful Dead was making their
way around Europe in what would become one of
the group’s greatest tours. The scene in San
Francisco had dissolved for the most part and the acid
rock of a decade previous was starting evolve as a result. One of the earliest
examples of this evolution is Iron Butterfly’s “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vidda” which was
released in 1968, marking a definitive turning point in rock music. Following
the success of “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” many bands started experimenting with
heavier sounds both in the United
States and around the world. One of those
many bands was Brooklyn’s Sir Lord Baltimore
whose 1969 debut, Kingdom Come, sent a shockwave through the rock community.
Often considered by many as the “godfathers of stoner
metal”, Sir Lord Baltimore was doing things reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix,
Motörhead and the MC5 making their sound really unique and perfect for 1970.
The album’s opening track, “Master Heartache”, kicks off with a thunderous and
ferocious Gary Justin bassline beautifully setting the tone for what’s to
follow. Bringing together elements of the blues, jazz, an early form of punk as
well as what was left over from the acid rock predating the band’s existence,
Sir Lord Baltimore crafted a primitive and new kind of rebellious listening
experience. Heavily distorted, ugly and sludgy, Louis Dambra’s riffing is
infectious; especially on songs like “Ain’t Got Hung On You” and “Lady of
Fire”.The guitar parts are masterfully
pitted against the heart pounding and tenacious drumming and singing of John
Garner. His voice is rough around the edges and horse only adding to the band’s
already blues heavy sound. Along with all of this the band included a stunning
homage to the psychedelic baroque rock they’d originated from with “Lake Isle
of Innersfree”. The harpsichord builds a gorgeous foundation for the 12-string
acoustic guitar and Garner’s voice to float effortlessly on top. However, none
of this could’ve been possible without the album that came out a year before
it.
In sticking with this power trio idea, no one embodied that
moniker more than San Francisco’s
Blue Cheer. In 1968 they helped to define what would become known has heavy
metal and what a power trio was supposed to be. Their debut album Vincebus
Eruptum was heavier and louder than anything that came before it. The phrase
titling the album is latin for “controlled chaos” which is a perfect descriptor
for what this record is. Inspiring most of what followed it Vincebus Eruptum
had on it not only some of the band’s best work but, some of the blueprints for
heavy metal was going to sound like. The album starts off with a devastating
cover of Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues” which became a massive hit for the
band and was geared more towards the bikers than the hippies. Blue Cheer
created a dark and almost primal listening experience when compared to other of
the day and shined a light on the other side of the San Francisco music scene.
The band had undeniable chemistry and it was evident on
songs like “Doctor Please”. The unmistakable guitar sound of Leigh Stephens
paired with the soulful, raspy howl of bass player and frontman Dickie
Peterson. Stephens pushes his amps to the max by cranking things up to 11
(literally) and creates a mountain of distortion and fuzz thrust forward by
Paul Whaley’s epic, gargantuan drums. Dangerous and explosive Blue Cheer
destroy Mose Allison’s “Parchman Farm” and nearly go off the tracks with
“Second Time Around”. From start to finish Vincebus Eruptum is an eruption of
sound and set a new, electrifying standard in the world of heavy metal.
-Hannah Wolfe
