When speaking of metal music in terms of its perceived heaviness, a surface-level reading would point towards sonic signifiers such as down-tuned guitars, distorted vocals, or slow, pounding percussion. However, when creating genuinely heavy music as opposed to merely a ”heavy” sound, a strong argument could be made for the importance of less tangible qualities. For further enlightenment on this distinction, we turn to the music of US heavy metal band Lordian Guard and their second album ”Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” (1997).
Based on its exterior characteristics, the music of Lordian Guard does not comply with any superficial notions of heaviness. The band can be roughly described as the heavy metal equivalent of ”bedroom black metal” – basically a one-man endeavour courtesy of former Warlord (US) founder and guitarist William J. Tsamis, aided by keyboard pads, a drum machine and his wife Vidonne Sayre-Riemenschneider on vocals. Although less raw in terms of production values vis-a-vis bedroom BM, the low-budget sound captured on ”Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” is a far cry from the bombasm and fireworks expected of an 1980s-styled heavy/power metal album. Everything you need to hear in terms of musical data is audible, but presented in a distinctly home-brewn manner. To some listeners, the production grants a certain charm and uniqueness to Lordian Guard. However, a larger percentage will probably either laugh out loud at the oddness if it all, or just write it off as weak-sounding.
As far as the actual music goes, anyone familiar with Tsamis’ earlier work with Warlord will probably recognize his ”singing”, classically-influenced guitar style and method of writing. Songs tend to develop in the form of extended verse/chorus structures with emphasis on strong main themes and elongated lead guitar passages. Nothing too technical or fancy in terms of instrumental performance, just elegant and thought-through. Looking at it from a more emotive viewpoint, Tsamis manages to weave melodic figures verging on the edge of the melodramatic and sappy, yet always ending of up on the right side of tasteful.
What ultimately makes ”Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” a heavy listening experience stems from Tsamis’ ability to impose his eschatological Christian worldview on the material at hand and have it come off as rather convincing even to an agnostic listener. Regardless of our views on the lyrical themes, and despite the modest mode of expression, the music of Lordian Guard carries a conviction and seriousness that aligns perfectly with the idea of heavy metal as an authentic embodiment of power and majesty (in this case the ”heavy” aspect of heavy metal, if you will). Interestingly, the notion of authenticity ties in with the vocal performance as well, in spite of the odd timbre and decidedly non-metal singing style of Sayre-Riemenschneider. Her frail, almost spectral voice adds a genuinely sinister and sombre quality to the music, which would’ve been lost had the band opted for a conventional heavy metal vocalist.
Without denigrating the classic Warlord albums put out during the 1980s and beyond (be sure to check out ”Deliver Us”, ”And the Cannons of Destruction Have Begun” and ”The Holy Empire”), it was with Lordian Guard that William J. Tsamis created his most unique, deep and (yes) heavy contributions to heavy metal.
