Luna Kills – Deathmatch
Release Date: 4th April 2025
Label: Sharptone Records
Order/Stream
Genre: Nu-Metal, Industrial Metal, Alternative.
FFO: Nova Twins, Poppy, Linkin Park.
Review By: Andy Spoon
It was hard trying to find artists who have a similar sound to Luna Kills, not that they don’t exist, but that very few bands have the exact sound that runs concurrent to the band. I think the best way to describe them might be to look at the harsh female vocals of new Linkin Park, but a smooth clean vocal delivery that sounds like it would fit in perfectly with a ska or pop rock outfit. I think that the industrial/electronic hybrid sound that Nova Twins and Poppy offer is similar in spirit, so I believe that fans of either or both would enjoy Luna Kills’ new release Deathmatch, which is set to be released on April 4th on Sharptone Records.
Deathmatch is overall a really fun album that is distinctly high-energy across the entire LP’s run time. I think that I expected the album to take some turns where the main tracks would be marquee moments, but I was pleasantly surprised that the entire album was surprisingly well-written and executed. I think that I was expecting a few lulls and pointlessly-sweet melancholy interlude tracks. Instead, the album keeps an entirely-high-level pace and energy that keeps Deathmatch really fun and entertaining. Essentially, I think that it’s an album that could easily be played front to back and enjoyed.
I think that the album transcends the “niche” status and can stand on its own two feet. I was interested in why the band chose “Sugar Rush” as one of the main tracks on the album, as I think that it’s not in the top 5 songs on the album for me. Personally, I really enjoyed LEECH, Waves, and Love U, which are super enjoyable. That being said, I think that the guitar solo on Sugar Rush was totally excellent. If you are a fan of the faster tracks, like Love U, there are numerous tracks on the album which give you that fast 160+ bpm. There’s tons of industrial electronic samples, beats, and synth backing tracks that keep the sound intense and sexy.
I think that the addition of the clean and tight-sounding female-fronted vocals is excellent. In many of these projects, there is a distinct lack of both sides of the sound, e.g., pretty without rough, or rough without pretty. Vocalist Lotta Ruutiainen really offers both without the failure of the other. I like to think that her vocals have enough “cut” in the mix to be highly distinctive, leading the listener to probably be able to pick her voice out from other artists’, something that is one of the true keys of popular music. Naturally, she’s the face of the act, but she really offers something that brings an additional flavor of talent that doesn’t ooze “gimmick”, and stands on its own two feet. I like to think of her as Gwen Stefani, but with a lot more teeth.
I’ve not been a Nu-Metal fan in many years, but I think that Deathmatch is an above average album, hopefully bringing the European band into a bigger spotlight, as both a good album, and exposing the scene to a great project with their heads on straight. Overall, Deathmatch is a great album that’s pure fun and totally listenable front start to finish.
(4 / 5)
