Web Nostalgia Volume One: Lost Souls Domain
This is the first in a series of writings where I explore my favorite places of the "old [better] internet" (1990s and early 2000s).
As a teen in the late 1990s I became downright obsessed with what you'd call "extreme metal" -- death, black, doom, gothic, industrial, symphonic, grind, you name it (my taste in music has only changed slightly since then lmao). Information online was much scarcer then, obviously, and there was only so much useful information you could glean from band and label websites. The first "database" of such music I ever recall seeing was (the) Lost Souls Domain, originating in 1997 or possibly even 1996. Yes the site is still active, though I'll describe its state "back in the day" with archived images.
The big, BIG difference between this site and "modern" databases (like the Metal Archives and RateYourMusic) is the simple fact that everything here was basically compiled by one Dutch dude. And he (humorously) made no attempts to be definitive. Only bands he likes were included. He doesn't like Megadeth, Megadeth isn't on the database. Simple as.
Individual band pages looked (look) like this: simple scroll-down pages with releases listed chronologically. Some more notable albums (notable to the Dutch guy, that is) will have subpages showcasing album art, lyrics, and a review. There was also (eventually) an oportunity for user-submitted ratings and reviews. A great many of the user reviews fail to rise above "this rules!" and "this sucks!" I'm sorry to say.
Oh, and the "branches" Geocities-esque repeating background is absolutely iconic. One of the best there is.
Another classic internet relic: pages solely dedicated to text (info and lyrics) were simple .txt files. Like an old GameFAQs walkthrough. What else do you need?
While the site would (eventually and temporarily) host mp3s, for a time there were RealPlayer RealAudio clips. Ten second song samples of dubious quality, sounding like they were floating in from the netherworld. Entrancing experience. I bought many a CD after first experiencing the contents in this fashion.
Unrelated to music, but the site had a ray tracing showcase for some time. Kinda neat. PlayStation vibes.
Some old visitor counts. The Dutch "maart" for March. Jelly of these numbers.
I spent hour upon hour poring over the material contained within this digital forest, and I still make periodic visits. Happy to report not much has changed. It's a bit more user-friendly now, the .txt files have been converted to html, a forum seems to have come and gone, and the branches are now blue. Still no Megadeth.
Written: 09/30/25