“Not a puppet! Not a puppet! Not a puppet! Not a puppet!” The lyrics screamed by Chinese all-girl group Dummy Toys resonate their philosophy to a tee. Like Metallica’s “Master of Puppets,” the notion of being controlled by those in power pulling the strings has been a constant in heavy music. “We don’t want to be puppets of anyone or anything, and we don’t want to be restrained,” says guitarist Xiaoniao on the meaning to these anthemic lyrics, which belong to the title track from their debut LP. Comprised of members Qingqing青青 on drums, Xiaohan小韩 on vocals, Xiaoniao小鸟 on guitar, and Huanzi欢子 on bass, Dummy Toys quickly made their presence felt in the coastal city of Qingdao, becoming a must-see act at the city’s local punk bar, DMC. Not a Puppet hit the streets in 2020, but the band s...