Hellsinki Metal Festival not only delivered a barrage of headbanging performances at its own festival site but also extended its metal extravaganza through a series of afterparties hosted across town in iconic venues like Bar Loose, The Riff, Korjaamo, and On The Rocks. These post-festival gatherings catered to both the fervent metal fans looking to extend the festival vibes and those curious to glimpse the atmosphere they might have missed.
Opting for an unforgettable night, we headed to Korjaamo to catch the alternative metal act LUNA KILLS, a mere 10-minute walk from the festival grounds. Although the event had another exciting act, the fantastic metalcore outfit BALANCE BREACH, lined up for 1:00 AM, the anticipation of the next day’s work demanded us to, unfortunately, skip the late-night performance and head home to our beds.
LUNA KILLS, although not yet an internationally established name, boasts unparalleled energy. Their enthusiasm remained undeterred despite the lower turnout, likely due to the multiple afterparties and the ongoing festival. Drawing from their experience of performing at more intimate venues, they brought their infectious energy to the stage. Front and center, vocalist Lotta Ruutiainen was an absolute force, jumping up and down, dancing along to the music without compromising her stellar vocal delivery. Not a single note faltered; every note resonated with precision and emotion. The event featured a stand-in drummer from Turku, seamlessly integrating into the lineup for the night’s performance.
Starting off with their latest single, “super sick,” the band introduced some new elements into their live show, which were pretty interesting to see. For instance, they had created electronic soundscapes to act as a bridge between some of the songs and the addition of atmospheric smoke really lifted the show up to a professional level. They mainly focused on songs from their album, “not to be bitter, but it helps,” with here and there one of their new songs, all-in-all the setlist had a good flow.
Before launching into “good guy,” a moment arose when an intoxicated guy was behaving a little annoying. Lotta used this instance to address the issue of how women are often treated in the music business, recounting an encounter where she was questioned about her stage presence by asking what her father thought of her dancing like that on stage. Her response highlighted the absurdity of such attitudes and quickly silenced the heckler, but served as a reminder that these instances are far more common than one might realize. As their set progressed, Lotta continued to engage the audience during “BULLET,” encouraging them to join in on the chorus despite the modest turnout. Her determination paid off, and even the initially reserved crowd began to engage, lending their voices to the anthemic chorus.
In the aftermath of Hellsinki Metal Festival‘s more extreme lineup, a band like LUNA KILLS was an excellent addition to its extended afterparty lineup, offering a little bit more variety to the roster. Watching this band play their songs with the incredible stage presence they have is always pretty entertaining and you always know you are in for a quality show. If you haven’t had the opportunity to watch these guys play their music live, they are supporting RECKLESS LOVE and SONATA ARCTICA on tour upcoming tour in Autumn!
Text and photos by Laureline Tilkin
Setlist
- super sick
- bITTER sONGS COME EASY
- DEAD2ME
- honey trap
- good guy
- liar, liar
- deep cuts
- here for the drama
- BULLET
