Lollipop Magazine

Agoraphobic Nosebleed – Arc – Review

February 5, 2016

Gone are the rapid-fire grindcore outbursts, replaced with longer, doomier, mid-paced compositions with multiple parts, tempo changes — the whole nine yards.

Ignite – A War Against You – Review

January 15, 2016

These OG SoCal punkers have a big, infectious sound that’s equal parts driving, aggressive punk and stadium-ready, anthemic supersongs.

Killing Joke – Pylon – Review

December 18, 2015

A superlative work of industrial music from start to finish – 10 impeccably crafted songs that drag you slack-jawed through the gamut of human experience.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege – Review

December 11, 2015

A nice bit of counter programming during this holiday season, turning down the spectacle and exploring tense, high-stakes combat.

Just Cause 3 – Review

December 11, 2015

Just Cause 3 is an incredible action movie amusement park filled with the tools to create any over-the-top Bond/Bourne/John McClane fantasy in your head.

Intronaut – The Direction of Last Things – Review

November 27, 2015

A collection of seven songs just too fascinating not to take notice.

Rodea the Sky Soldier – Review

November 6, 2015

Rodea the Sky Soldier is more than a little rough around the edges, and it’s gonna take all the imagination you’ve got to see the silver lining here.

The Hollowpoints – Rocket To Rainier – Review

October 30, 2015

The phrase “energetic blast” seems more fitting for a new Mountain Dew flavor than a record, but hey, it really fits here for The Hollowpoints.

Transformers – Devastation – Review

October 16, 2015

A Platinum Games joint is like a Quentin Tarantino movie or a Ryan Murphy TV show – if you call yourself a fan of the art form, you have to check it out.

Dengeki Bunko – Fighting Climax – Review

October 10, 2015

I had no idea what a Dengeki Bunko was before booting up, but I’m always up for a sleek-looking 2D fighter (especially on the original Vita’s OLED screen).

Denner-Shermann – Satan’s Tomb – Review

October 9, 2015

Mercyful Fate’s Melissa and Don’t Break The Oath are classics due to King Diamond’s vocals and the mind-bending riffs and solos of Michael Denner and Hank Shermann.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 – Review

October 2, 2015

Except for an HD reworking a couple years back, the Tony Hawk series has been missing as of late, after previously appearing with incredible regularity for more than a decade.

Toy Soldiers – War Chest Hall of Fame Edition – Review

August 28, 2015

Toy Soldiers is solid gold: Actual toy soldiers duking it out on a virtual battlefield, reminiscent of those many on-the-rug action figure battles of kids under the age 10.

German Psych-Metal power trio Kadavar return with new album – News

August 27, 2015

Towering psych-metal trio Kadavar released its new album, Berlin, on August 21 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Fear Factory – Genexus – Review

August 21, 2015

Genexus, their ninth album, delivers exactly the mix of brutality, melody, foreboding and ambition we always want from Fear Factory.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter – Review

July 31, 2015

Eerie PC hit The Vanishing of Ethan Carter won accolades for its gorgeous visuals and offbeat narrative. Making its debut on consoles, it’s easy to see what the buzz was about.

Batman – Arkham Knight – Review

July 17, 2015

Rocksteady announced Batman: Arkham Knight would be the conclusion to their Arkham saga, and now that it’s here, it’s easy to declare that they went 3-for-3 with its Batman games.

Valkyrie – Shadows – Review

July 10, 2015

The power of the riff compels Valkyrie, a Virginia heavy rock group led by guitarists/vocalists Pete (also of Baroness) and Jake Adams.

Paradise Lost – The Plague Within – Review

June 19, 2015

The Plague Within is a surprisingly dark album. An album full of gnarly, dirt-under-fingernails dirges, soaked in deliberate, droning heaviness.

Raven – ExtermiNation – Review

May 15, 2015

Every now and then, when your brain has been fried by so many far-out variants, it’s great to have some old-school Heavy Metal kick you in the head.

Violent Femmes – Happy New Year – Review

May 6, 2015

The Violent Femmes return with EP Happy New Year, their first collection of new songs since the very underappreciated Freak Magnet, released in 2000.

Local H – Hey Killer – Review

April 10, 2015

Hey, Killer is the most consistent Local H record since 2002’s Here Comes the Zoo and the band’s best since at least 2004’s Whatever Happened to P.J. Soles?

Senses Fail – Senses Fail / Man Overboard split – Review

March 6, 2015

Senses Fail and Man Overboard team up for this four-song EP, featuring a new song from each band as well as each band covering one of the other’s choice cuts.

Soilwork – Live In The Heart of Helsinki – Review

March 1, 2015

This first-ever live DVD/Blu-Ray from Soilwork, arriving right around the two-year anniversary of the band’s excellent 2013 double album, The Living Infinite.

htoL#NiQ – The Firefly Diary – Review

February 27, 2015

A mysterious and intriguing game. While the pace drags at times, what it lacks in polish, it makes up for by creating a world that tugs at your curiosity.