Lake of Tears-The Neonai
(Black Mark/PHD, 2004)


Do you really want to know what I think of this cd? I don’t think I could even put into words how much I don’t like this band. They’ve been around forever it seems and I’ve always thought they used unique and colorful album covers, but I had no idea that the music was this bad. I guess you could call it metal, but the dance style drum beats, bad vocals, and overall cheesy nature of the band leave me with a bile filled mouth. I’m sure there must be people who like this band somewhere...although I’m not sure if anyone would admit to it.

Latrodectus-Altered Flesh
(Adipocere, 2003)

Aside from a strange hollow sounding production and a bit more synths then I like, this was a surprising and somewhat original sounding black metal album. It’s nothing groundbreaking, yet doesn’t completely reek of predictability.

I’ll be the first to admit that I am a sucker for fast and chaotic black metal, but this band tends to use many different rhythms within their songs. They do have the chaotic sections, yet they have many slower almost epic sounding riffs as well. You hear hints of most of the classic black metal bands, yet the band never resorts to cloning or imitating any of them. This is definitely a band that fans of the newer Mayhem albums would be able to get into.

Like I said earlier this have a weird hollow sound to it. It’s very digital sounding too, which I’m not a huge fan of really. In general it’s not a bad sounding production, although I’m not crazy about the drum sound and it sounds cluttered at times.

The packaging and artwork are amazing and aside from my qualms with the production this is a fairly original slab of black metal that should please fans of evil music.


The Lawrence Arms-The Greatest Story Ever Told
(Fat Wreck Chords, 2003)

I definitely would consider myself a fan of this band, but for some reason I've always thought they were a bit predictable musically. This new album is actually a lot better then their last full length, and for fans of poppy punk rock you'll definitely want to check this out. I can hear hints of Good Charlotte, Blink 182, The Ataris, and a few more bands that pretty much everyone has heard of. The odd thing is this, while they remind me of some of the catchiest and most mainstream pop punk bands around, I couldn't see these guys breaking as big. Sure, they are similar, but their music is much more involved, and the lyrics aren't boring or cliche.

For those new to the band, you can expect lots of power chord driven guitars and a surprisingly laid back vocal approach for this style of music. You won't find any screaming. This is clean singing and it's some of the best the genre has ever seen. These guys have a knack for penning some very original and unique lyrics. If you are expecting the cliched girls and skateboard lyrics, you'll definitely be disappointed.

Legen Beltza-Insanity
(Crash, 2003)

I'll be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect from these guys. I read that they were thrash, and I was actually expecting something more along the lines of retro thrash, but this isn't retro at all. It takes the foundation of thrash, adds modern elements, and actually comes across as being quite original. There are definitely a few things I have a hard time getting into on here, but for the most part it is definitely some high quality metal.

For the most part these guys are fairly mid-tempo. They have their fast moments, and I'm definitely a fan of those moments. They somewhat remind me of Destruction, but with a bit more melody and a technical flair. There are some moments that almost have a power metal feel at times. They also have some fairly wanky riffs that somewhat disrupt the flow of the tunes, but at least it adds something new to the sound of the band.

The main drawback of this band? I would definitely say it's the vocals. I like when the vocalist lets things go and sort of half screams, half sings in a very thrash style voice. I'm not a big fan of when he tries to clean up his vocals for some of the choruses. I also think the death metal vocals the band uses are a bit out of place. I'm usually a big fan of a varied vocal approach, but it's just not the right style for thrash metal.

Every now and again these guys noodle a bit too much and lose site of where they are going, but for the most part this is an album that fans of thrash metal will easily be able to get into. The band has room for improvement, but is definitely on the right track. All they had to do was leave off the total Megadeth rip off that they called Dying....oh well.

Life of Agony-River Runs Again
(Steamhammer, 2003)

I hate to say it but Life of Agony were never really a favorite of mine. Mainly because I never really took the chance to check them out. They came along when I was in my if it doesn’t have anything gory on the cover it’s not cool phase so I passed on them. Listening to this double live cd I’m somewhat kicking myself in the ass ‘cause these guys are catchy and pretty damned heavy too.

I suppose you could say Life of Agony plays rock that has elements of metal and hardcore running throughout. Some songs are heavier and faster then others, but what you can count on consistently are catchy choruses, some huge riffs and passionate vocals. It’s pretty easy to call Life of Agony an original band, that seemed to be ahead of their time. It’s definitely a good thing that they are back together, I’m very curious to hear the new studio material.

For a live album this sounds pretty damned good. The guitar tone is especially heavy and comes across very clearly. The entire band puts in an incredibly tight performance, with no mistakes being very noticeable. There is the odd out of tune vocal note, but it doesn’t hurt the performance. I’d say it adds to it if anything. It definitely sounds like a live band, so they definitely didn’t go into a studio after the fact and fix anything.

If you are a big Life of Agony fan chances are you already own this disc. If you haven’t checked them out yet, I’d say this isn’t a bad start because it features tracks from the bands entire catalog. This is a band I passed on the first time they were around and damnit these guys could have easily been one of my favorite bands.

Lipid-Hagridden
(Copro/PHD, 2003)

There's nothing quite like receiving a cd from a band you've never heard of and being totally blown away. Lipid play an extremely catchy and energetic combination of thrash and death metal. It's almost like a less dirty version of old school Swedish death metal. It reminds me quite a bit of the stuff Century Media would have released in the early 90's. Total old school death metal, but instead of being about all out brutality the bands were catchy, wrote good songs, and were very thrash influenced.

The more I listen to this, the more I realize that this band could appeal to a pretty wide range of extreme music fans. It has the speed and vocals for the death metal freaks, the melodic thrash style riffing for the old schoolers, and enough heavy as fuck breakdown riffs to appeal to hardcore kids. The different influences come together pretty seamlessly. It's not as jarring as a lot of bands that mix genres. I'd actually compare the style somewhat to Heartwork era Carcass. This really doesn't sound like said album, but it's similar in style. It has the mid-tempo riffs, and melodic solos. It's about as accessible as death metal can be without getting weak.

The production is pretty damn monstrous sounding. I actually think that I wouldn't enjoy this as much if they didn't have such a strong production. The music is good, but if the production sucked I probably wouldn't have paid as much attention. It's not that I even really care about production values, but when there are so many similar bands, it's tough to stand out. The great sounding production of this album definitely makes Lipid stand out.

These guys may not be doing anything new, but the beyond heavy production and guttural vocals will grab you by the throat and make you take notice of this band.

Liturgy-Dawn of Ash
(Unmatched Brutality, 2004)

Excuse me while I scrap myself off of the wall! Guttural US style death metal was starting to bore me for awhile, but holy fuck this band is insane. It features former members of Cinerary, and current members of Brodequin and I believe Disgorge. Basically, if you’ve heard those bands you’ll know what to expect; insane, blasting death metal with inhuman vocal growls and no remorse for your ears whatsoever.

I’d be lying if I said this didn’t actually remind me most of Brodequin. That might be of no surprise because the band does feature the guitarist and drummer from Brodequin. I’m most impressed by how far the drummer has come. I was impressed with the last Brodequin full length, but damn this guy is a monster now! He flies around his kit and blasts away like a madman possessed. For a lot of bands in this style the drumming can make or break the band. It totally makes the band here. Sometimes I find myself just listening to the drumming and not even noticing the other instruments. It’s well written, but the drumming just really blows me away.

I think if the band has one downfall it might be that it’s not exactly the most memorable death metal you’ve ever heard. The problem with me saying that is it doesn’t seem to be what this style is all about. It’s more about pummeling you with a constant assault then having you humming the tune to the chorus. Choruses? You won’t find any here. Just blasting, fast guitar riffs and sick vocals.

The production to me sounds a bit muffled, but still has enough clarity that you can hear each individual instrument. I found with a lot of the Brodequin albums that it was hard to follow the guitar when the drums were blasting and the vocals were roaring. Here the mix allows the guitar to be heard even during the chaotic parts. This is definitely a bonus ‘cause there really aren’t many parts that aren’t chaotic.

While I wouldn’t call this original, they definitely aren’t kicking a dead horse. It’s high energy death metal that fans of Brodequin and Disgorge should have no trouble getting into.

The Locust-Plague Landscapes
(Anti/Epitaph, 2003)

It seems like grindcore has pretty much been stuck in a rut. You have the few odd bands breaking the mold and being unique, but for the most part it's the same formula Napalm Death created rehashed again and again. It's not really a bad thing, but I, like probably many other listeners want to hear something new. Ladies and Gentlemen, that something new is The Locust.

The Locust defies classification. Grindcore one second, jazzy the next, followed by almost techno sounding sections. Saying this band is all over the place would be a vast understatment. The band is pretty much just downright weird, but you can't help but be drawn in and stay for the duration, just to see what's next. The Locust is noisy and chaotic yet everything stays together.

This is one album where you really don't know what to expect next. Every minute of the 23 song cd is interesting and mind boggling. The Locust are a band with a sound all their own.

The production is pretty much the perfect production for this band. It's dirty yet tight. It harnesses the chaotic nature but doesn't take away any of the energy. For the amount of craziness going on within the songs, it's amazing that they managed to keep everything toegther.

If Napalm Death had come from Mars, gives you a good idea of what to expect from The Locust. Prepare to be blown away!

Lords-The House that Lords Built
(Initial, 2004)


There was a time when rock music really didn't do anything for me. It had become sterile, but thanks to bands like the Lords rock is a dangerous thing once again. Combine a Black Flag like appraoch with chaotic guitar lines, spastic drumming and vocals that trade between swager and scream and you have an idea as to what to expect from Lords.

If rock makes you automatically think of AC/DC you might be a bit disappointed by this. It's more rocking in the way that the music is slower and well, just plain rocks. The guitar riffs are simple, but manage to add a chaotic edge. The riffs are noisy yet straightforward. The band also keeps the songs relativly short. They kick you in the teeth for 2 minutes take a break and then repeat. It makes this cd have quite an energetic punch.

The production is noisy, feedback riddled and fucking perfect in my opinion. It sounds like a band rocking out in the garage and that is essentially what you would want from this style of music. You don't want 10,000 tracks and countless overdubs. You want to hear the blood and the sweat that goes into making music like this. This album doesn't sound like a million bucks and that's just fine with me.

I could see fans of Black Cross being into this band. Lords are a bit more chaotic but the bands definitely have a few similarities. If you like your punk rockin' without sounding like every other rock bands, then you'll enjoy living in the house the Lords built.

Initial Records Website

Lucifugum-On Hooks to Pieces!
(Oaken Shield, 2003)

If there is one thing I’ve come to expect from Oaken Shield it’s that almost all of their bands play lo-fi black metal that totally keeps the old school spirit. With the “mainstream” black metal sound becoming so overproduced it’s nice to see bands keeping the old style alive and playing truly dark and chaotic black metal.

Lucifigum, as you could probably guess from the first paragraph, play chaotic black metal that sounds quite a bit like Dark Throne. It’s a bit more melodic then DT ever was, but they definitely have a lot in common. The bands style is made up of minor chords, harsh vocals, and lots of blastbeats. It’s a formula very common for black metal, but like they say, if it’s not broke don’t fix it.

The production is perfect for this style of band. It’s extremely lo-fi and has a very live sound to it. Fans of big budget productions probably won’t enjoy this album, and that’s fine, if you like massive production values you probably don’t listen to the more brutal side of black metal anyway.

My only complaint is that the band uses keyboards. They don’t necessarily sound bad or out of place, but they just didn’t really need them. If you are into harsh and underground black metal you’ll want to pick up this release.

Lucerin Blue-Tales of the Knife
(Tooth and Nail, 2003)

This is definitely not what I was expecting. Lucerin Blue sounds like a combination of indy rock and Linkiln Park. The band writes catchy songs with concise structuring. They also definitely have a knack for some very dynamic songwriting. They have the quiet verse loud chorus formula down pretty good. You couldn't say these guys are anything especially original, but it's a damn good listen none the less.

After I was finished marveling over the bands songwriting abilities, I then noticed the amazing production. This is definitely one of the most slick sounding records I have heard from Tooth And Nail. The style the band plays doesn't warrant a raw or super heavy production, and the production is the perfect production for this style of music. Everything rings clear and the loud, punchy guitars nail the point across.

The bands style for the most part is fairly mid-tempo. They have lots of heavy riffs, but the main driving force behind the band are the clean vocals and catchy vocal lines. I'd say that these guys could definitely be huge if the break came along for them. I'd say these guys are much better then every band playing an even remotely similar style.

Tales of the Knife is a great emotional yet heavy album that will appeal to a large array of music fans. This is definitely a killer release from the folks at Tooth and Nail.

Lucky Striker 201-Night Room
(Independent, 2002)


All I really have to say about this is, if you happen to see this album run away very quickly. This is pretty much a French Nine Inch Nails clone and it’s as bad as you are probably thinking it will be. What did I do to deserve this torture?

Lunatic Gods-The Wilderness
(Shindy, 2002)

Lunatic Gods are a band that I have read about in the underground for quite awhile now and have heard mixed reviews of their music. After hearing the band I’d say that I wouldn’t agree with the negative reviews yet at the same time I could agree that this isn’t a band for everyone.

The bands style is a technical mix of death metal and black metal with elements of progressive music and possibly even a bit of jazz in some sections. It’s heavy throughout but some of the riffs are quite different from what you’d expect to hear from a death metal band. I think it’s great that the band keeps people on their toes. You really don’t know what to expect. The opening track goes from very heavy riffing into synth filled riffs with clean vocals. You’d think that the transitions might not work, but they do. It all flows quite well and the band delivers a very unpredictable performance.

The production is fairly clean sounding and fits the band’s style perfectly. It’s heavy enough to please death metal fans, yet has enough clarity to allow all of the technical nuances to be heard.

This definitely isn’t an album for everyone, but for those of you that will understand and appreciate this band, this is an amazing album. It’s definitely not your stereotypical death metal release.