UPDATE: The new Luna Kills album "not to be bitter, but it helps" is out now. Find my review here! alert-info
Finnish rock band Luna Kills describe their work as "spitting bittersweet anthems and creating a soundtrack for you to break stuff."
I wouldn't describe the music as moody by any means, though. I actually find it pretty fun and light-hearted. Most people in the mood of breaking stuff would probably opt for something more angsty and aggressive... like them Slipnutz.
The band has an album from 2019 called Before the Satellites under their belts. Musically, we're talking pretty straightforward hard rock at its core, relying on riffs that make your head boppity-bop, and solos that are simply ideal for drunken air guitar sessions. The band sounds very capable and technically proficient and if you want fast, precise guitar chops, you got 'em here! They even offer some more low key moments on this record, such as the bluesy God Bless and soulful closing track Crash.
Luna Kills offer a powerhouse behind the mic as well in Lotta Ruutiainen, who's of course the main attraction, as with most female-fronted bands. If you disagree, go ahead and name a few male members of The Pretty Reckless, Evanescence or Halestorm without resorting to Google (or perhaps that silly Microsoft search engine, "BINNNG!") - No rush, I'll go make a fresh pot of coffee in the meantime.
New Singles
The new singles of 2021 that have been released so far mark a fresh new start for the band and they sound really exciting! They have a bit of a new sound to them that sets them apart a bit more from other classic hard rock inspired groups. The tune Honey Trap really is what sparked my interest in the band. It's quite modern-sounding, direct and punchy. Another recent single called Liar, Liar has a modern pop flavour to it in the verses while it still manages to bring a lot of bite and punch in the choruses, and it's not a soft song by any means. And while "Liar, Liar" unfortunately doesn't feature Jim Carrey, it spoils us with some fancy Tom Morello-esque pitch whammies instead - something you typically don't hear from your average rock & roll band.
Another Finnish band that blended hard rock with a great pop sensibility, thus making it very accessible and catchy was Dead Cult Diaries. Loved that band! Made one album in 2013 and haven't heard from them since, unfortunately. Worth checking out though, if you're unfamiliar with them.
Sorry, folks. Jim Carrey is not in this one. Brings Harley Quinn to my mind, though! She's the only baseballer I know of... I'm a Swede. - Great looking video, by the way!
Affinity for Horror and Gore
Watching some videos and live shows of Luna Kills on the 'tube, I get a bit confused as to what kind of image the band is trying to get across, though. They mix elements of sleaze with gore and blood-spattered facepaint for sheer shock value, while the music itself is mostly just fun ol' rock & roll, even with a bit of a retro flavour to it (at least on the debut album Before the Satellites). Not entirely different from bands like retro-flavoured bands like Barbe-Q-Barbies (FI) and Thundermother (SE), which they've also toured with. The two aforementioned are more straight-up party bands though and stick closely to that formula. Luna Kills show a lot more sides, and it makes them more interesting in a way.
For instance, a completely blood-soaked Luna Kills singer is seen eating a freaking heart in one of their videos ("End Game"). Like, what? Am I watching a Cannibal Corpse video all of a sudden? It's one of the earlier tunes, though, and in newer videos as well as live recordings, they seem to have scrapped the fake blood, which seemed a bit out of place to me anyway.
Exciting New Direction
With the three recent singles; liar liar, honey trap, and bITTER sONGS COME EASY (someone clearly hasn't earned their Caps Lock license yet), I find the band moves closer towards modern alternative rock, which distinguishes them from the more old-school rock bands like the aforementioned Thundermother and Barbe-Q-Barbies. Very excited to hear more of their new stuff, sounds like they're really on the right direction stylistically. Hopefully, there's a new album on the horizon as well!
UPDATE: The new album has now been released. Find my review here! alert-info
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The new album of 2021 Get it on Amazon |
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The 2019 debut |
More Videos
Honey Trap
From the 2021 album not to be bitter, but it helps
bITTER sONGS COME EASY
From the 2021 not to be bitter, but it helps
Violent Waters
From the 2019 album Before the Satellites
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