Lollipop Magazine

Owls – I’m Surprised – Music Stream

April 8, 2014

Owls are a satisfying throwback to a time when emo rock hadn’t yet evolved into an overly sleek, whiny mess of a movement.

Legion Of The Damned – Summon All Hate – Music Stream

April 7, 2014

Head-down, serious thrash from the Netherlands. Meat-and-potatoes thrash.

Falling In Reverse – Keep Holding On – Music Stream

April 4, 2014

Able to write catchy choruses most pop metal and pop punk bands would kill for, Ronnie Radke writes trite lyrics he believes so earnestly, it’s embarrassing.

The Crimson ProjeKCt – Frame By Frame – Music Stream

April 3, 2014

Two sets of three King Crimson alum and using the “double trio,” The Crimson ProjeKCt is a suitably ambitious offshoot from the legendary prog masters.

Def-Con-One – Soul Possessed – Music Stream

April 2, 2014

Pure opening-act mediocrity from the UK. Def-Con-One is a throwback to scores of second stage Ozzfest bands from the late ’90s-early ’00s.

Veara – The Worst Part of You – Music Stream

April 1, 2014

Like loads of good-but-indistinguishable pop punk bands of the late ’90s, they have heart and skills, but haven’t found their unique voice by their 2nd album.

Letlive – Banshee (Ghost Fame) – Music Stream

March 31, 2014

Pop raps (remember 311? No?) and Linkin Park clean vocals offset with screaming and metal groove are a mix bound to sell.

Slough Feg – Digital Resistance – Music Stream

March 21, 2014

Slough Feg wastes no time delivering fuzzy NWOBHM feelings on “Digital Resistance,” the title track of their ninth studio album.

Eldritch – Alone Again – Music Stream

March 20, 2014

Intriguing, moody power metal from Italy. Incredibly (for this genre), the singer doesn’t overplay it.

Nashville Pussy – The South’s Too Fat To Rise Again – Music Stream

March 19, 2014

Nashville Pussy is guaranteed to clear all the shit from your sinuses with all-business rock cleansers.

Sister – My Enemy – Music Stream

March 18, 2014

Scandinavia has always been the place to look for sleazy glam punk rock ‘n’ rolla, and Swedish outfit Sister delivers the goods.

Indian – Directional – Music Stream

March 7, 2014

The opening track is a howling hell hole of a song, recalling Made Out of Babies at their most cathartic. Plus, it’s called “Rape.”

Behemoth – Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel – Music Stream

January 31, 2014

Nergal has defeated leukemia and hosted a Polish version of The Voice, all while creating brutal death metal. It’s kind of hard not to root for the guy.

Dum Dum Girls – Lost Boys and Girls Club – Music Stream

January 30, 2014

My brother-in-law saw this band open up for Ben Gibbard, and his zero-word review was a lethargic shoulder shrug. Maybe they’ve improved with age? Maybe not.

Satan’s Wrath – Die White Witch Die – Music Stream

January 29, 2014

Greece’s Satan’s Wrath is actually much closer to traditional heavy metal than it is to the storms of the antichrist.

Weekend Nachos – Satan Sucker – Music Stream

January 28, 2014

The 90 second “Satan Sucker” manages to cram in an unsettling intro, a freight train midsection, and a lurching, menacing outro before you can come up for air.

Naam – Of the Hour – Music Stream

January 27, 2014

With Hawkwind and Iron Butterfly on the mind, Namm forge their own meandering path through the cosmos and desertscapes.

Deicide – In The Minds of Evil – Music Stream

January 10, 2014

“In The Minds of Evil” is heavy as hell, but it’s got groove and craft as well. This is how death metal is done.

Marmozets – Move Shake Hide – Music Stream

January 9, 2014

This clunkily-named band has angsty roar, belted-out melodies, and some tenderness, slathered atop powerpop riffery and stick-twirling drumming.

Matt Pryor – Kinda Go To Pieces – Music Stream

January 8, 2014

The Get-Up Kids got less terrible with every release, as the cute college girls I assigned to review them for the magazine often noted.

Death Angel – The Dream Calls for Blood – Music Stream

January 7, 2014

This is straight-up bloody meat thrown to ravenous thrash fans — prototypical thrash that is equal parts Slayer and Megadeth.

Dream Theater – Along for the Ride – Music Stream

January 6, 2014

It’s great to report that “Along for the Ride” from their 2013 self-titled record is along the lines of Dream Theater’s classic early work.

Red Fang – Blood Like Cream – Music Stream

January 3, 2014

Portland, Oregon stoner rock crew turned heads with their eclectic 2011 release, Murder the Mountains, but things may have gone off the tracks since then.

Boardwalk – Crying – Music Stream

January 2, 2014

Pleasant, predictable, and mesmerizing. Breathy, gauzy female vocals, and a hipster dude handling the deeply-reverbed guitars, and a drum machine set on snooze.

Twilight of the Gods – At Dawn We Ride – Music Stream

January 1, 2014

This talented bunch quickly grew beyond the initial concept to play classic, galloping, mall-strutting ’80s metal.