Book of Lairs

L'ARC~EN~CIEL - Dune [DVD18/1993] 9/10=One of the greatest rock bands to come out of Japan ever, they have a great style that's as atmospheric as it is poppy. Rooted in 80s pop and New Wave, but going further than that.
L'ARC~EN~CIEL - Tierra [DVD18/1994] 8/10=I didn't find this album quite as strong as the debut, but it's still really good and worth the time for any J-rock fan to add it to his/her collection.
L'ARC~EN~CIEL - Heavenly [DVD18/1995] 8/10=Another solid work from this great Japanese rock act, stylistically on par with its predecessors.
L'ARC~EN~CIEL - True [DVD18/1996] 8/10=The last album they'd make before the big drug conspiracy involving the drummer, this was definitely their best material since Dune, slightly better than Tierra and Heavenly.
L'ARC~EN~CIEL - Heart [DVD18/1998] 9/10=After a year or so of drama, they return with an extremely strong album that I count among my favorites.
L'ARC~EN~CIEL - Ark [DVD18/1999] 8/10=And then they manage to release two records simultaneously without sacrificing much quality...both Ark and Ray are loaded with catchiness.
L'ARC~EN~CIEL - Ray [DVD18/1999] 8/10=Ray has my favorite songs of the pair, but the consistency is even across both records.
L'ARC~EN~CIEL - Real [DVD18/2000] 9/10=This album brought in some slight stylistic changes, they were using more electronic material than before and even heavier 'metal' stuff with songs like "The Nepenthes". It works, believe me.
L'ARC~EN~CIEL - Ectomorphed Works [DVD18/2000] 4/5=A lot of techno and industrial remixes and remakes of their songs, surprisingly a lot of these are cool and it makes for an excellent fan package.
L'ARC~EN~CIEL - Clicked Singles Best 13 [DVD18/2001] 2/5=Collection of singles that any L~Arc~En~Ciel fan has already heard.
L'ARC~EN~CIEL - Smile [DVD18/2004] 9/10=It took long enough, but after working on some solo projects they get back together and release their most popular material yet, including Fullmetal Alchemist OP "Ready Steady Go".
L'ARC~EN~CIEL - Daybreak's Bell [DVD96/2007] 3/3=Single features the killer new OP for Gundam 00 by L'arc~en~ciel, one of my favorite J-rock bands.
L'ARC~EN~CIEL - Hurry Xmas [DVD96/2007] 3/3=A jazzy but awesome rock tune for the Holidays, done in that original, highly atmospheric and unforgettable style by L`arc~en~ciel.
L'ARC~EN~CIEL - Kiss [DVD135/2007] 9/10=If "Daybreak's Bell" and "The Black Rose" aren't enough the rest of the album is pretty fucking excellent too. One of Japan's best bands.

LAKE OF TEARS - Greater Art [CD/1994] 5/10=The birth of their unique, slow-paced doom/70s/Swedish folk sound.
LAKE OF TEARS - Headstones [CD/1995] 9/10=A great Swede doom/70s/rock album, the band is compared to some others but sound nothing like them.
LAKE OF TEARS - A Crimson Cosmos [CD/1997] 10/10=One of the best, most original albums I've ever heard in my life. I love the lyrics, the sound, the songs, the vibe.
LAKE OF TEARS - Forever Autumn [CD/1999] 7/10=At first I was bored with this but it really gets better on repeated listens. Not their best, but worthwhile.
LAKE OF TEARS - The Neonai [CD/2002] 7/10=People panned this record but it's not all that bad, and has some catchy stuff in the vein of A Crimson Cosmos.
LAKE OF TEARS - Black Brick Road [CD/2004] 7/10=It's another pretty good album though i am kind of glad this is the end of it. They keep retreading ideas and making 'samey' songs.
LAKE OF TEARS - Moons and Mushrooms [CD/2007] 10/10=What the fuck...out of nowhere a new Lake of Tears album is released and it is their best in nearly a decade! Great fucking songs, "Children of the Grey" is amazing!

LEVIATHAN (USA) - Seven and Slaveship [DVD79/2000] 5/5=Killer album-length demo, one of many that Wrest would create prior to his excellent albums. He definitely earned his stripes through these underground releases.
LEVIATHAN (USA) - Shadow of No Light [DVD79/2000] 4/5=Another album-length demo from the cult US living legend, there were a few misfires here and a slightly different style to Seven and Slaveship but it's still quite good.
LEVIATHAN (USA) - Intolerance [DVD79/2001] 5/5=Sick and suicidal black metal demo from Wrest, what a prolific motherfucker this guy was.
LEVIATHAN (USA) - Ten X [DVD79/2001] 5/5=There is just something about the way he plays, there is just this edge to his black metal which I have always really enjoyed. Fantastic.
LEVIATHAN (USA) - White Devil, Black Metal [DVD79/2002] 5/5=Leviathan probably has the greatest legacy of demos known in metal, almost all of them are album length and nearly as fantastic as his more recent full-lengths.
LEVIATHAN (USA) - Verrater [CDx2/2002] 7/10=Aaah...the mighty Wrest, one man US black metal force, raw, hatefilled, sounding not quite like any other, and this is 2 CDs of his rare and out of print CD-R material compiled together. Sweet.
LEVIATHAN (USA) - The Tenth Sub-Level of Suicide [CD/2003] 10/10=Frankly, one of the greatest black metal albums ever to hail from US soil, and I almost took my life several times while listening, so it is quite the accomplishment.
LEVIATHAN (USA) - Tentacles of Whorror [CD/2004] 9/10=Wrest has once again conjured forth the very gates of Suicidal Hell and brought me near the brink of giving it all the fuck up, giving it all the fuck away and fucking dying.
LEVIATHAN (USA) - A Silhouette in Splinters [CD/2005] 7/10=Different type of release, this is all dark ambient music and unlike his other records, but still quite good.
LEVIATHAN (USA) - Howl Mockery at the Cross [CD/2005] 7/10=Another demo collection, all pretty good stuff, Wrest is very good at what he does.
LEVIATHAN (USA) - The Speed of Darkness [DVD71/2006] 4/5=Reissue of his side of a split EP with Iuvenes from a few years back, haunting material indeed, but not some of his best.
LEVIATHAN (USA) - Massive Conspiracy Against All Life [CD/2008] 8/10=It's not the best Leviathan ever, but this guy is still the tops for grim, USBM with some class, some style, this is again brooding and memorable.

LIVING DEATH - Vengeance of Hell [CD/1984] 6/10=It's a good speed metal record, all points I deducted were for the pretty poor vocals found here, but once you get used to them this is certainly a listenable album.
LIVING DEATH - Back to the Weapons [CD/1986] 7/10=A sick fucking EP, and I just got it, but seriously one of the most aggressive things you will ever here, the vocals are fucking filthy and mean, and the guitars fucking shred.
LIVING DEATH - Metal Revolution [CD/1986] 8/10=Rifftastic, I'm willing to bet this is one of the best thrash/classic albums you never heard, they rock whether they are playing fast or slow, a total cult gem here.
LIVING DEATH - Protected from Reality [CD/1987] 9/10=This is another excellent German thrash gem that I was only recently exposed to...good luck to me in tracking down the rest of their catalogue.
LIVING DEATH - Live [DVD61/1988] 4/5=One of those infamous live EPs, kind of a ripoff, four songs live, but this is fucking Living Death and it sounds great.
LIVING DEATH - World Neuroses [CD/1989] 8/10=Can Living Death do wrong? Not really, this is another top notch German thrash record, sounds great but not quite like any other. Awesome fucking guitar work here.
LIVING DEATH - Killing in Action [CD/1991] 7/10=Another solid record, the vocals do grate here a little but overall it makes a decent enough closing to their recording career.

LIZZY BORDEN - Give 'Em the Axe [CS/1984] 2/10=An EP you just don't need if you have their other stuff.
LIZZY BORDEN - Love You to Pieces [CD/1985] 8/10=Excellent debut album from this theatrical screaming maniac, classic American metal.
LIZZY BORDEN - The Murderess Metal Road Show [CD/1985] 5/10=It's one of my favorite live records of all time.
LIZZY BORDEN - Menace to Society [CD/1986] 7/10=My least favorite album by Lizzy overall, but still solid and melodic and classic.
LIZZY BORDEN - Terror Rising [LP/1987] 5/10=Songs from other albums, plus the Give 'Em the Axe stuff and a few others.
LIZZY BORDEN - Visual Lies [CD/1987] 8/10=Another smoking hot Lizzy Borden record.
LIZZY BORDEN - Master of Disguise [CD/1989] 9/10=I wanted to give this a perfect score but it really doesn't completely stand up to time, it's rock opera stuff and it's certainly amazing.
LIZZY BORDEN - Deal With the Devil [CD/2000] 7/10=A good, solid 'comeback' album, I enjoyed it when it came out.
LIZZY BORDEN - Appointment with Dead [CD/2007] 8/10=Seven years but again, it's worth the wait, Lizzy Borden is still in fine form and has delivered an album here even better than Deal with the Devil!

LOITS - Legion Estland [CD/2003]
LOITS - Raiugem Ruunideks [CD/2004]
LOITS - Vere Kutse Kohustab [CD/2004] 8/10=An interesting band, Finnish war metal and they actually focus closely on subject material like World War II, one of the most promising black metal acts out there.
LOITS - Must + Mustad Laulad EP [CD/2007] 8/10=Long awaited 3rd album, great material, includes a great bonus EP too.

LORD BELIAL - Kiss the Goat [DVD79/1995] 7/10=A good debut from this Swedish meloblack band, fans of Dissection would probably enjoy.
LORD BELIAL - Enter the Moonlight Gate [DVD140/1997] 8/10=My appreciation for this fine effort has only grown over the years, a devastating yet melodic black/death attack, probably their best to date.
LORD BELIAL - The Unholy Crusade [DVD140/1999] 8/10=Another great album, slightly simpler than Enter the Moonlight Gate but still effective. The late 90s were their best period.
LORD BELIAL - Angelgrinder [DVD79/2002] 7/10=One of their heavier and more disturbing albums, also probably their most original.
LORD BELIAL - Scythe of Death [CD/2003] 4/5=An excellent EP from this Swedish black metal standard. I prefer the material here to most of their full length records.
LORD BELIAL - The Seal of Belial [CD/2004] 4/5=Another assault of melodic Swedish black death, nothing particularly amazing here, and I actually enjoyed the previous EP as much as this.
LORD BELIAL - Nocturnal Beast [CD/2005] 7/10=Lord Belial have always been one of the 2nd wave of that Swedish melodic black/death crossover, this is a more primal incarnation of the band and it's a good record with some depth.
LORD BELIAL - Revelation [CD/2007] 7/10=Another solid record, though nothing outstanding, from this 2nd tier Swedish black metal band. They truly channel that Dissection style to some measure of success.
LORD BELIAL - The Black Curse [DVD140/2008] 8/10=A lot of great music on this new album, evil and pure black/death Swedish hybrid, not thrilled about the vocals but they're acceptable.

LORD WIND - Forgotten Songs [CD/1996]
LORD WIND - Heralds of Fight [CD/2000]
LORD WIND - Rites of the Valkyries [CD/2001]
LORD WIND - Atlantean Monument [CD/2006] 8/10=I haven't listened to Lord Wind (aka Rob Darken of Graveland) in some time, his chanting medieval folk ambience has come quite a long way, some songs here that I truly enjoyed.

LUGUBRUM - Black Prophecies [DVD39/1993] 3/5=The first demo from this Belgian black metal legend.
LUGUBRUM - Winterstones [DVD39/1995] 7/10=This was perhaps the least 'quirky' of their full-lengths, a more straightforward, cold, harsh approach to their black metal on this debut.
LUGUBRUM - Gedachte & Gehuegen [DVD39/1997] 7/10=A more savage production than Winterstones, I really liked the non-metal, ambient pieces like "Trollenkloof".
LUGUBRUM - De Totem [CD/1999] 8/10=This was perhaps the first album where they started going off the deep end, more tortured vocals, a little more dry wit and humor, but it was also their best album yet.
LUGUBRUM - Bruyne Troon [CD/2001]
LUGUBRUM - Al Ghemist [CD/2001] 8/10=So fucking weird and yet so great, this is a noisy black abyss of fucked upedness.
LUGUBRUM - De Vette Cuecken [CD/2004] 8/10=The first album that truly brought them towards that haunting, freakstyle black metal they play today.
LUGUBRUM - Heilige Dwazen [CD/2006] 8/10=5th album from Belgium's most unique black metal entity, they have this strange vibe that encapsulates their grim sound. A fantastic record, their sixth, and I'll be needing the first five.
LUGUBRUM - De Ware Hond [CD/2007] 9/10=Amazingly bizarre, abstract, and great, I enjoyed this record even more than their previous.
LUGUBRUM - Albino de Congo [DVD128/2008] 7/10=It's not at all bad, but for me it was a regression, I don't know the previous record just really stuck with me.

LUNAR AURORA - A Wandering Winterdream Beneath the Cold Moon [DVD7/1995] 3/10=Debut demo from the longstanding German black metallers. It's alright, not all that impressive.
LUNAR AURORA - Auf Dunklen Schwingen [CD/1996] 5/10=2nd demo by this German black metal band who now must have about 7 albums out. Good, grim, early symphonic sound, good stuff.
LUNAR AURORA - Weltenganger [DVD7/1996] 6/10=It was a worthy attempt at a sort of atmospheric celestial black metal style we hadn't seen much of at this time, but failed to truly be memorable.
LUNAR AURORA - Seelenfeuer [DVD7/1998] 6/10=Their second full-length, it is a solid album of synth-driven black metal but the band have yet to impress me.
LUNAR AURORA/SECRETS OF THE MOON - Split [DVD7/1999] 4/10=The Lunar Aurora tune is so-so, the two SOTM tunes are actually pretty cool.
LUNAR AURORA - Of Stargates and Bloodstained Celestial Spheres [DVD7/1999] 6/10=Third assault of their cosmic black metal leaves about as much impact as the first two albums, it is a solid attempt once more, here the production is a little stranger and they use more experimental structures than before.
LUNAR AURORA - Ars Moriendi [DVD7/2001] 6/10=This is the original version of album four, without the added guitar track...there are some aspects of the album that are interesting but they've gotten so much better since.
LUNAR AURORA - Elixir of Sorrow [DVD7/2004] 8/10=Up to this point in their career, this is by far the best Lunar Aurora record. A wall of mesmerizing guitars with light synth touches and a lot of atmosphere.
LUNAR AURORA/PAYSAGE D'HIVER - Split [DVD7/2004] 7/10=Quite a nice split, you get two 10 minute Paysage tracks which captivate a raw glory, and one 20 minute + Lunar Aurora epic which is great. Track this down.
LUNAR AURORA - Zyklus [DVD7/2004] 7/10=They've built quite a prolific resume this year, with the cool split they did and the great Elixir of Sorrow album. So here is another album with four good lengthy tunes, and a raw production.
LUNAR AURORA - Mond [CD/2005] 7/10=Yet another solid album from these German black metal mainstays, grim and pure but not afraid to accent the mix with some lush synthesizers.
LUNAR AURORA - Andacht [CD/2007] 9/10=Having steadily improved throughout their career, Lunar Aurora deliver one of the best sounding black metal albums I have ever heard. An absolute must for fans of German black. Tremendous.

LURKER OF CHALICE - Lurker of Chalice [CD/2005] 8/10=This was just released, it's Wrest/Leviathan's side project, I guess he had like 4 albums sitting around under this monicker. Unique mix of black metal, rock, ambient. Great.

LUSH - Spooky [CD/1992] 9/10=An amazing swirly girly pop record, with amazing atmosphere to lull you away to dreamland.
LUSH - Split [CD/1994] 9/10=A little bit more up front, but still has those airy melodic passages...and it has 'Light from a Dead Star'.