Finnish alternative metal outfit LUNA KILLS is making waves (tsunami-style) with their brand-new full-length album “DEATHMATCH,” dropped via SharpTone Records. With a European tour just around the corner, they decided to give us Finns a taste first, throwing a very packed album release party at On the Rocks in Helsinki on April 5th, 2025, with support from the up-and-coming LASTOUT.
I first encountered LASTOUT back during Black Box Mikkeli a few years ago when they were just starting out. Even back then, you could tell they were destined for big stages. Now having a management deal with Backbone Management (yes, the same people behind THE RASMUS, BLIND CHANNEL, and Ville Valo—no big deal), they’re clearly doing something very right. They’ve only got a handful of tracks on Spotify, which had me wondering how they’d manage to fill a full set. Despite having seen them live before, I hadn’t properly deep-dived into their discography, so I couldn’t name every track they played, but “Empty Eyes” stood out—soulful verses, a catchy chorus, and just enough edge to make you go, “Oh, okay, these guys get it.” The crowd was into it too—loads of fans singing along. It was a solid set, though maybe a tad more broody than what you’d expect before LUNA KILLS‘ chaos kicks in. Also, sidenote: the strobes didn’t pair well with my recent head injury (mild concussion club!), but the lights were otherwise great.
Now, let’s talk about the real enemy of the night: the wait between bands. It basically dragged on a lot longer than a prog rock outro. Considering the crew was ultra-professional and barely needed time to set up, it felt a bit excessive, but admittedly, I also had no patience that evening, and it was pretty entertaining to hear the music jump from METALLICA to STAM1NA and back.
LUNA KILLS kicked off bang on time with a cool electronic soundscape that set the tone. Drummer Jimi Kinnunen was the first to take the stage and immediately signaled for a wall of death. Now, I usually avoid these like the plague, but even I was impressed by how quickly the crowd split like Moses parting the Red Sea. They opened with “hallucinate,” which starts off on the album “DEATHMATCH” with just vocals—so that was a bit of a surprise to me. Singer Lotta Ruutiainen didn’t waste a second and jumped straight into the verse, instead of starting at the top, the song had been rearranged a bit for live energy, and it worked. “love u” came in hot right after—one of my all-time favorites. I might’ve “gently suggested” (read: mildly complained) that they skipped it on Valentine’s Day, so seeing it back in the setlist made my cold little heart happy.
They kept the energy going with heavy-hitters like “SADIST” and the electronics-drenched “WAVES.” So far, it was all new material, but with “DEATHMATCH” clocking in at just over 30 minutes, they had to dip into their back catalogue. Thankfully, “we were born to die” and “super sick” made the cut. Their sound may have evolved, but these songs still slap and give the set some tasty variety. “sugar rush” brought in a poppier vibe, while the delightfully unhinged “get mad” was an absolute riot live, it looked like a lot of fun on stage too, since I did catch Lotta smiling.
“slay ur enemies” has become a live staple and continues to be a crowd-pleaser, while “fever dream” brought the tempo down just enough to let the emotional weight hit. And props to their lighting guy—On the Rocks isn’t exactly Helsinki’s Ice Hall, but they still managed to create some genuinely beautiful moments, and “fever dream” is usually one of those during the set—and it was no different this time around.
As the set wound down with “deep cuts” and “burn the world with me,” I was feeling fully satisfied and ready to call it a night—until the crowd started clapping like their lives depended on it. Then it hit me: they hadn’t played two songs yet: “LEECH” and “BULLET.” Usually, Lotta has the crowd scream along to “BULLET,” but the new move has been to get everyone to sit down during the breakdown and then jump. It works—except that one tall guy in the back who was right in front of me.
All-in-all, LUNA KILLS puts on one of the best live shows out there. They’ve nailed the art of performance—tight, energetic, and zero dead air. I especially love how they use those electronic soundscapes between tracks. Not only do they bridge the songs smoothly, but they’re genuinely cool. Honestly, I’d be down for an alternative version of “DEATHMATCH” with those transitions in between the songs. Someone start a petition.
The band is gearing up for their European tour, and let me put it this way—missing it would be a mistake of catastrophic proportions. If you’ve never seen LUNA KILLS live, now’s your chance to witness their killer sound in full force. Be there or be square (and nobody wants to be geometrically uncool). Seriously—if you’re even considering skipping it, don’t let that happen. Grab your ticket, grab your friends, and prepare to get your face metaphorically melted.
Text and photos by Laureline Tilkin
Setlist
- hallucinate
- love u
- SADIST
- WAVES
- we were born to die
- super sick
- sugar rush
- get mad
- slay ur enemies
- fever dream
- deep cuts
- burn the world with me
Encore:
13. LEECH
14. BULLET
