Liege Lord

{{Short description|American heavy metal band}} {{For|feudal namesake|Homage (feudal)}} {{Refimprove|date=March 2020}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Liege Lord | image = | caption = | alias = | origin = Stamford, Connecticut, U.S. | genre = {{flatlist| * Heavy metal<ref name=allmusic>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/liege-lord-mn0000261224#biography |title=Liege Lord biography|access-date=2023-01-20|website=AllMusic}}</ref> * power metal<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schiffmann |first=Andreas |title=LIEGE LORD |url=https://www.rockhard.de/bands/liege-lord |access-date=2024-03-19 |website=Rock Hard |language=de}}</ref> * speed metal<ref name=allmusic /> }} | years_active = 1984–1990, 2012–present | label = Metal Blade Iron Works Black Dragon | website = {{URL|liegelord.com}} | current_members = Tony Truglio Joe Comeau Danny Wacker Joe DiBiase Frank Gilchriest | past_members = Matt Vinci Andy Michaud Pete McCarthy Van Williams Frank Cortese Paul Nelson }}

'''Liege Lord''' is an American power metal band active in the 1980s. It was formed by Matt Vinci, Anthony Truglio and Frank Cortese.

== History == Liege Lord was originally a Judas Priest cover band named '''Deceiver''' (after the Judas Priest song of the same name). Judas Priest's influence can be heard in the early vocals and guitar riffs of the ''Freedom's Rise'' album.

Liege Lord first signed on with the French record label Black Dragon after Christian Logue of Savage Grace recommended the company to the band. ''Freedom's Rise'' was released in 1985 on Black Dragon in Europe, and on Ironworks in America.

Reaching cult status in the metal world with their three releases, the band featured Joe Comeau, who would later go on to play with thrash metal bands Overkill and Annihilator. Guitarist Anthony Truglio went on to play in the band Gandhi with Page Hamilton from Helmet, and also played in the new version of Helmet. Guitarist Paul Nelson would go on to play with Blues/Rock icon Johnny Winter and winning a Grammy Award and multiple Grammy Nominations signing with his own solo artist deal on Sony/EMI Records.

''Master Control'' was recorded from March 22 to April 11, 1988. The album was produced by Terry Date and Liege Lord.

As of August 2012, Liege Lord has been active again and headlined the Keep It True XVI festival, which took place from April 19 to 20, 2013, at Tauberfrankenhalle in Lauda-Königshofen, Germany.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/reunited-liege-lord-to-headline-next-year-s-keep-it-true-xvi-festival/|title=Reunited LIEGE LORD To Headline Next Year's KEEP IT TRUE XVI Festival|date=August 11, 2012|website=Blabbermouth.net|accessdate=March 25, 2020}}</ref>

Founding member Matt Vinci died of cancer on September 9, 2023.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.metal-archives.com/artists/Matt_Vinci/251 | title=Matt Vinci - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives }}</ref>

== Musical style == ''Loudwire'' stated that the band's "classicist approach to the music left them stranded in between the two popular juggernauts of thrash and hair metal."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rivadavia |first=Eduardo RivadaviaEduardo |date=2017-11-10 |title=35 Best Metal Blade Records Albums |url=https://loudwire.com/35-best-metal-blade-records-albums/ |access-date=2026-01-03 |website=Loudwire |language=en}}</ref>

== Members == *Joe Comeau – vocals (1987–1990, 2012–present) *Tony Truglio – guitar (1984–1990, 2012–present) *Danny Wacker – guitar (2012–present) *Joe DiBiase – bass (2024–present) *Frank Gilchriest – drums (2013–2018, 2024–present)

=== Former members === *Matt Vinci - bass (1984–1990, 2012–2023; his death) *Frank Cortese – drums (1984–1990) *Andy Michaud – vocals (1984–1987) *Pete McCarthy – guitars (1984–1986) *Paul Nelson – guitar (1986–1990; died 2024) *Van Williams – drums (2019–2023)

=== Timeline === {{#tag:timeline| ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:18 PlotArea = left:125 bottom:75 top:0 right:10 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1984 till:07/01/2024 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy ScaleMajor = increment:4 start:1984 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1984 Legend = position:bottom orientation:horizontal

Colors = id:vocals value:red legend:Lead_vocals id:guitar value:green legend:Guitars id:bass value:blue legend:Bass id:drums value:orange legend:Drums id:album value:black legend:Studio_album

LineData = at:03/12/1985 color:album layer:back at:02/28/1987 color:album layer:back at:08/19/1988 color:album layer:back

BarData = bar:AM text:"Andy Michaud" bar:JC text:"Joe Comeau"

bar:TT text:"Tony Truglio" bar:PM text:"Pete McCarthy" bar:PN text:"Paul Nelson" bar:DW text:"Danny Wacker"

bar:MV text:"Matt Vinci" bar:JB text:"Joe DiBiase"

bar:FC text:"Frank Cortese" bar:FG text:"Frank Gilchriest" bar:VW text:"Van Williams"

PlotData = width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10.-4) bar:AM from:start till:07/01/1987 color:vocals bar:JC from:07/01/1987 till:03/01/1990 color:vocals bar:JC from:08/01/2012 till:end color:vocals

bar:TT from:start till:03/01/1990 color:guitar bar:TT from:08/01/2012 till:end color:guitar bar:PM from:start till:07/01/1986 color:guitar bar:PN from:07/01/1986 till:03/01/1990 color:guitar bar:DW from:08/01/2012 till:end color:guitar

bar:MV from:start till:03/01/1990 color:bass bar:MV from:08/01/2012 till:09/09/2023 color:bass bar:JB from:09/10/2023 till:end color:bass

bar:FC from:start till:03/01/1990 color:drums bar:FG from:08/01/2012 till:12/31/2018 color:drums bar:VW from:01/01/2019 till:end color:drums }}

== Discography == === Albums === *''Freedom's Rise'' (1985) *''Burn to My Touch'' (1987) *''Master Control'' (1988)

=== Singles and demos === *"Black Lit Knights" (1987) *''Demo'' (1985)

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == *{{URL|www.facebook.com/LiegeLordOfficial|Official Liege Lord Facebook}} *{{URL|www.liegelord.com|Liege Lord website}} *{{Metal Archives|284|Liege Lord}} *{{URL|www.paulnelsonguitar.com|Official Paul Nelson website}}

Category:Musical groups established in 1984 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1990 Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2012 Category:American power metal musical groups Category:American speed metal musical groups Category:Heavy metal musical groups from Connecticut Category:American musical quintets Category:1982 establishments in Connecticut Category:Metal Blade Records artists