LUNA KILLS released their album “DEATHMATCH” with a powerful gig at On The Rocks

It seems like yesterday when I heard about “that” Finnish band that sounded like everything that is good in a female-fronted metal project. But no, it’s been five years since Luna Kills burst onto the scene with their debut album, “BEFORE THE SATELLITES”.

It took this Kuopio-based band less than half a decade to climb to public recognition and to release their second album in 2025, “DEATHMATCH”, which was released on April 4th through Sharptone Records.

The release was supported by a concert at On The Rocks in Helsinki. What we saw on stage was a high stakes bid from Luna Kills to become one of the leading bands from this country, a country known worldwide for the quality of its musical production, especially in rock and metal.

Luna Kills has all the right ingredients to rise to the top of today’s metal scene—not through grandiose ambition, but by standing out with their blend of heavy guitar riffs and infectious melodies, bringing fresh energy to the often-overdone formula of female-led metalcore.

Lotta Ruutiainen’s voice is her trademark—not just for the power she commands, but for the confident attitude she brings to the stage.

Lotta is capable of going from the raw to the delicate and from the heartbreaking to the sensual, without losing an ounce of mastery of her vocal technique. The drive she puts into each performance is felt from her very core, and this is evident not only in her live work but also in her studio work. About the album, she said:

“DEATHMATCH is ultimately about feeling alive. Making the album was rough at times. My personal life has been rough at times. But music makes everything better. The songs might be dark, they reflect anxiety, self-doubt, and battling some of the darkest thoughts one can have, but through it all, hope lives. Music is the best therapy, and this album is for everyone going through these things”.

Those words ring true—for Luna Kills, creating this album has been a journey, one they share in every song. “Making the album wasn’t always easy. What got us through was honestly the unwavering belief in what we do” the singer added. And yes, they make us feel immersed in their own honesty trip.

The launch concert had an energetic reception— you could notice fans in the audience showing off t-shirts as a sign of their constant support for the band since their beggining. The first impression of “DEATHMATCH” felt like a 10 out of 10 in the venue.

Luna Kills continues to push forward like a breath of fresh air in a metal scene crowded with bands cut from the same cloth. Sure, they follow a familiar formula—metalcore, alternative rock, and electronic elements that create a video game-like atmosphere—but they do it with a style that’s entirely their own, aiming not to imitate but to stand out through sheer originality. And they’re succeeding.

See the gallery here:

Lastout, the opening act

The surprise of the night was the opening act, featuring a band of five very young musicians. Lastout is another group shooting to the stars from Finland.