We’re not really here for all the drama, but whenever it’s LUNA KILLS spilling the tea, we’re there to gather the receipts. The alternative metal act didn’t keep us waiting long this time; they made their way to Tiivistämö in Helsinki on April 6th, 2024. The band brought along another up-and-coming alternative metal act, ST. AURORA, and modern metal newcomers, WITHOUT WARNING.
A few minutes before their show, somebody asked us if we’d already heard about WITHOUT WARNING. I thought I had heard of them before, but it turns out I got them confused with another band. Despite my initial confusion, I was still blown away by the band. The Turku-based metal act, led by vocalist Michaela Tuomenoksa, had somewhat of a dystopian sci-fi vibe aesthetically, and their music was an interesting blend of metal with some electronic elements here and there, interlaced with an ominous robotic voice-over once in a while. Vocalist Michaela Tuomenoksa was very engaging to watch, focusing on both poppy vocals and ferocious growls that were impressive, to say the least. I’m not sure how many performances this band has had on their slate, but overall, the band was very dynamic on stage, mostly headbanging. Since I went into the set with an open mind, I didn’t really catch any song titles, but “New Order” was the one that stuck with me most until after the show.
I somewhat missed the memo on the evolution of ST. AURORA. I was introduced to these guys when they released their excellent debut EP, but lost track a little ever since, even though the band has been releasing new music here and there. For some reason, they have also been playing shows mostly when I had a busy schedule or was out of town, so this being my first time seeing the band, I wasn’t sure what to expect. When the band took the stage with “Disgrace of a Man,” in a very theatrical way, I was instantly enchanted by their stage presence and energy altogether. Frontman Nile is a showman, entertaining the audience from start to finish, while still delivering a solid performance, occasionally punctuated with maniacal laughter (which is also included in the songs), making this show very fun to watch. The rest of the band matches his energy quite well with jumping, headbanging, and playing with a lot of intensity, which is something we were also accustomed to from drummer Vallu when he was still playing in BLAME ME!. Another highlight of the show was the song “Going to Heaven,” which is part of the Cyberpunk soundtrack, a song that most of their fans knew by heart. If you haven’t had the opportunity to see this band live, keep an eye out for them.
The main treat for the evening was naturally LUNA KILLS. The band has really started to work a lot on their live presence, transforming it into something that fits their aesthetics but also builds on an altogether immersive experience. This is not to say that the band didn’t blow us away in the past, but the fact that they have been paying more and more attention to small details within their set really enhances the experience. For instance, instead of using somebody else’s song as an intro or an instrumental track from a game or movie score, the band has crafted their own soundscape that smoothly transitions into their latest single, “we were born to die.” Standing in for drummer Dennis Hallbäck was Jimi Kinnunen, who was the first one to enter the stage. The band continued with the lively “here for the drama,” after which it was time for one of their yet-to-be-released new songs, “Slay Ur Enemies.”
Since this was a headliner show, there were lots of songs included that we hadn’t ever heard, like “Waves,” but thankfully, a few old classics like “honey trap” were still part of the setlist. It’s with songs like these that you can see just how much LUNA KILLS have grown over the years. The new songs take more influences from metalcore, nu metal, and electronics, but essentially, they sound very refreshing.
The band continued with “super sick,” one of my all-time favorites by them, with a lot of energy. I saw a few people headbanging and enthusiastically pumping their fists in the air. Another new song, “Sugar Rush,” was an absolute delight to the ear, with a little bit more poppy vocals and a catchy chorus that was still stuck in my head days later. “Love U,” another new one that I had heard during previous shows, is probably going to turn into one of my favorite songs once it is released. It’s just a fun playful song that the audience can sing along to very well.
LUNA KILLS aren’t exactly known for big, epic power ballads, but it seems like the band wanted to introduce at least one slower song into the setlist. “Fever Dream,” for those who have been following my journalistic endeavors for a while, will know that I’m usually not too impressed by ballads. For me, it’s usually a good opportunity to either have a bathroom break, check the merch, or get a drink. However, singer Lotta Ruutiainen made it simply impossible to do any of those, since her vocal performance alone was to die for. This is where you can see how much of a skilled vocalist she really is, with a very dynamic voice that can also pull at your heartstrings during an emotional moment like this. There was something so untimely beautiful about the presentation of this song as well, with Lotta being sort of the focal point with lights and everything.
After the slower moment, it was time for the final duo of songs. “deep cuts,” the song that also got featured on the popular mobile game app Beatstar, is always a hard-hitting song live. But it was during “BULLET” when people were absolutely going insane, with small moshpits included during the breakdowns and everything. Altogether, it was a very interesting evening of some young and fresh metal bands from Finland. The future is bright when it comes to metal music! You just have to keep your eyes and ears open to see if these bands have some new shows coming up in your neighborhood!
Article & photos by Laureline Tilkin
Setlist
- we were born to die
- here for the drama
- Slay Ur Enemies
- Waves
- Honey Trap
- super sick
- Sugar Rush
- Love U
- Fever Dream
- deep cuts
- BULLET