Lollipop Lust Kill combine the atmosphere and demeanor of sleazy low budget horror movies with balls out hard rocking tunes, scripting music that is chockfull of aural imagery and virtually leaves the speakers blood splattered long after the groups music of maniacal rage comes to an end. Like a cross between Clutch and Dog Fashion Disco, the band rely on evil and disturbing lyrics, yet rather than venture off into an experimental Mr. Bungle realm, they keep things raw and incisive, bludgeoning their victims to submission with anything they can get their hands on.
Vocally band front man Evvy Pedder has a style similar to older Clutch material, belting out scornful words with strong conviction and utilizing creative and deranged lyrics that craft vivid images of butcher knives and blood stains. There's also a somewhat more melodic aspect put in to play at times as well, and it is during these moments that his detached psychosis sounds almost even more frightening, using discombobulated Jim Morrison like croons that are usually backed by nostalgic tinged keyboard work. The band meanwhile play their respective instruments more like weapons, charging in with distorted swats and swings, using plunging rhythms that are played hard and keep each song overflowing with momentum. Still, though there is a wealth of aggression, there are also a few moments when they decide to slow it down a bit and its during these times that some interesting ideas are executed, be it through keyboards and samples or distorted guitar squeals.
As a whole the band are a pretty solid unit and the b-movie horror flick vibe they give off is quite pungent and is probably only reflected even more by each members chosen tuxedo attire and their "creepy" names like R. Cynic, Dead Greg and Killer K. But despite the somewhat cheesy tongue in cheek nature, the band sound more avant garde than anything else and there's no denying that there's some solid hard rock tracks here and even a few which could be considered to be more in the new metal vein. But though their quirky attitude and aura help establish an identity, it is unfortunately one that is established for the most part by sticking too close to the same formula and rarely trying anything that throws the listener off guard. Perhaps they're comfortable where they're at or maybe they're still too young as a band to venture outside the lines and put together an album with the climatic highs and lows of the movies they seem to represent. But you can rest assured that when they do achieve that level, the music they create will send chills through both the spine and brain of the listener and will do so without requiring any overblown special effects.
