Emerging Artist Reviews

Lollipop Releases Brutal New Song "Peppermint Chainsaw" and Exclusive Interview

by The Metalverse

Updated January 11, 2026

Lollipop Releases Brutal New Song "Peppermint Chainsaw" and Exclusive Interview

Hailing from Tokyo, Japan, Lollipop is a hardcore metal band that has a unique digital vocaloid sound. On January 2nd the band released their newest album Sugar Rush.

From their new album, the track Peppermint Chainsaw explores the darker themes of addiction, self-harm, and depression. The band draws a metaphor between the intensity of peppermint and self-harm, comparing that using fresh blades is akin to using a "peppermint chainsaw".

The song begins with a brutal blast beat, explosive guitar chugs, and thumping bass–creating a sound that seems to land somewhere between death metal and hardcore. Soon though, Lollipop introduces a unique spin–the band uses heavy digital and electronic influences to create an industrial, technology-driven sound. Female vocals are soon added into the fray, using the band's signature vocaloid effect (an effect that adds a synthesizer to your vocals).

Right before blasting into a galloping tempo and a shredding guitar solo, a chainsaw roars into action, referencing the song's title. Unexpectedly the track jums into the midst of an intense breakdown before leading into an EDM bass-synth that creates a groovy sound as funky bass lines are joined by an onslaught of guitar leads.

Overall, Peppermint Chainsaw is a very unique track, and Lollipop's mix of a raw hardcore/death metal sound, EDM, and industrial influences, and their vocaloid vocals, creates a distinct sound that feels like retro futuristic horror metal.

You can stream Peppermint Chainsaw, available on all platforms now!

Exclusive Interview with Lollipop

Band Members:

Himiko (Guitars)
Cyberia (Synths & Guitars)
Nozomi (Drums)
Subaru (Bass & Vocals)

1. How would you describe your music?

“I would definitely say it’s a hard mix of Digital Hardcore, Death Metal, or Thrash Metal, with elements of Techno or Breakcore influenced in there.”
– Cyberia

“It’s hard to describe it sometimes, but I always like to say just picture a rave and a mosh pit together at the same time while an anime girl is singing.”
– Subaru

2. What are the band’s biggest influences?

“Definitely The Prodigy and Atari Teenage Riot. Growing up hearing electronic music before metal gave me whiplash hearing a band mixing both genres together the way they did. It made me feel like I could make music and not be stuck to just one idea my whole discography. Later on, bands like Machine Girl, LustSickPuppy, and Femtanyl definitely helped shape the sound of what we like to make and further push the boundaries of what may even be considered not just Digital Hardcore, but heavy music in general.”
– Cyberia

3. What is the song about / what does it mean to you?

“This song has a pretty interesting but harsh topic. A lot, if not the entire album, has a theme of addiction and using candy or sweets as a metaphor for addiction. We didn’t want to necessarily highlight well-known addictions too much, like alcohol or drugs, so for this song we highlighted self-harm and the unfortunate result of getting used to doing so during bad or heavy situations that people go through.

We use the word ‘Peppermint Chainsaw’ as a way of expressing what it feels like to cut one’s arm or legs, as it is a metaphor for a similar feeling someone would get while eating peppermint candy. It’s brisk and jarring to the senses. To me, it means a lot to highlight this sort of subject matter because especially around Shinjuku, or greater Tokyo in general, there is a jarring amount of people with sliced arms or thighs that are female. I want them to know that even though it may not be a subject matter that is easy to talk about or convey, their voices and issues are heard.”
– Himiko

4. How did the band form / when?

“The band roughly formed around early 2024. I was unfortunately about to become homeless in Los Angeles and decided to run away to Tokyo in the meantime to meet with old friends. I had just finished writing some material and needed members to help record sections I couldn’t do anymore.

I met Subaru as she was trying to get me to go to her pop idol show. I went and liked her singing, and when her idol group disbanded I asked for help recording the material. She originally said no, but after getting to know each other more she eventually joined to play bass and sing, and helped me write and record the material as I was moving into my new place back in Los Angeles.”
– Cyberia

“Shortly after I joined, I knew some friends in Osaka named Nozomi and Himiko who were in a band called Werewolf that played heavy music similar to early demos of what we were planning to make. I asked them to help record the first single and later the first album. After spending a lot of time recording together, we all got comfortable with the idea of being this band and decided to stay together and keep experimenting with what we can do as a group.”
– Subaru

5. What is the story behind your band name?

“I love this question every time I get asked. I wanted to create a name that would be a complete 180 from what the music sounded like or what the album art looks like. At the same time, I wanted something with a double meaning. I decided on ‘Lollipop’ as a metaphor that life sucks but is also sweet. I enjoy the name a lot because sometimes we have cute anime-looking artwork with the name while having blazing fast blast beats or techno going on to match it.”
– Cyberia

6. What does the band enjoy doing outside of music?

“I personally like to draw digital art and be online with my friends on Discord. Special shout-out to my friends Orlando, Daniel, Jose, Lyra, Rated, and Frost.”
– Cyberia

“I mainly just like to eat and watch anime.”
– Himiko

“I like to dance, sing karaoke, and watch movies.”
– Subaru

“I watch a lot of YouTube videos about traveling and ghosts and stuff like that.”
– Nozomi

7. What is one band or artist you hope to collaborate or perform with in the future?

“It would be a dream to get LustSickPuppy to feature on anything with us. She has a big punk rock spirit and tenacity I love, and I would love to bring some of her personality and energy onto a track.”
– Cyberia

8. What’s next for the band?

“Right now we’re mainly pushing our newest release ‘Sugar Rush’ and having it be heard and performed. It’s something special, and I think we all put in a great effort to make something we’re proud of and will be proud of for a long time.”
– Cyberia

Find Them Here: Spotify | Instagram

Thanks for reading!