Sir Lord Baltimore was an American rock band from Brooklyn, New York City, formed in 1968 by lead vocalist and drummer John Garner, guitarist Louis Dambra, and bassist Gary Justin. Some have cited the 1971 review of their debut record, Kingdom Come, in Creem magazine as containing the first documented use of the term "heavy metal" to refer to a style of music. AllMusic described them as "arguably America's first bona fide heavy metal band". Sir Lord Baltimore featured a drumming lead singer, traditionally a rarity in rock and metal music.
In 2006, Garner and Dambra reunited as Sir Lord Baltimore and released a new album, Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw. The reformed band featured an overt Christian focus and lyrics, an emphasis not found in their earlier work. Justin, no longer an active musician, did not participate. Garner died on December 5, 2015, of liver failure, ending the band.