Earlier this year, industrial metal titans PAIN dropped their new album, “I Am,” and they weren’t going to let that go uncelebrated. The band embarked on a short but intense Nordic tour, with a necessary stop at Helsinki’s Tavastia on October 16th, 2024. For the occasion, they brought along Swedish power metal act METALITE to open the show. We made sure to head out and be a part of the party!
METALITE was a new name to us, and when they hit the stage, it was clear they had to work around the clutter of PAIN’s stage setup. With the five-piece band brimming with energy, the limited space proved a bit of a challenge, but they pushed through and kept the momentum going. It did make me wonder, though—who booked this tour? The vibe between METALITE’s power metal anthems and PAIN’s gritty industrial sound seemed worlds apart. However, that didn’t seem to be much of an issue and I noticed a fair few enthusiastic fans in the crowd sporting METALITE merch and singing along. While I didn’t know any of their songs, they did manage to get the audience warmed up. Unfortunately, at this stage, the sound quality wasn’t quite there, which took away from their performance a bit.
Then it was time for PAIN, and the anticipation in the air was palpable. The last time they were in Helsinki, the production had been a standout element, with a giant screen displaying animated interludes poking fun at various things and adding a comedic touch. While I had seen them keep that screen setup during their summer performance at Graspop Metal Festival, it was noticeably absent on this tour. Initially, I thought I would miss it, but instead, we were treated to an absolutely mesmerizing light show that elevated the atmosphere in a whole new way.
The setlist for the evening was impressive, to say the least. While PAIN’s songs tend to be shorter than those of many metal bands, they still managed to squeeze in a whopping 17 tracks from their discography. Being the last show of the tour, the band was in full-on party mode, with no need to worry about any upcoming gigs. Tavastia was turned into a huge celebration. Naturally, a significant portion of the setlist was dedicated to “I Am,” featuring tracks like “Don’t Wake the Dead,” “Go With the Flow,” “Party in My Head,” “Push the Pusher,” and “Revolution.”
“Party in My Head” stole the show as my personal highlight. It’s an infectiously fun song that invites the audience to go completely wild and is a certified banger live. The band even came on stage dressed in new outfits, showing that it was time to really kick the festivities up a notch, and they shot balloons into the crowd for everyone to bat around—because nothing says “party” like balloons.
Since this was the last show on a dry tour, it seemed like the band got a bit of a surprise during “Have a Drink on Me” when they were actually handed some real alcohol. But considering it was the tour’s final stop, they shrugged and went for it—time to get totally wasted and celebrate the end of the run. The song itself served as a perfect breather after the high-energy tracks, giving both the band and the crowd a moment to regroup (and possibly hit the bar for another round).
The night ended with the inevitable “Shut Your Mouth,” but it wasn’t just the band on stage. We were treated to a surprise visit from an alien (don’t worry, not a real one) and a few masked characters who crashed the stage. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that METALITE had decided to join in on the fun, adding a playful touch to the grand finale. Star-shaped confetti rained down on the crowd, which was a nice touch compared to the usual blasts of confetti cannons, giving the scene a festive, DIY vibe. The band’s drummer, Sebastian Tägtgren, then closed out the night with a short yet explosive drum solo that left the crowd cheering for more.
PAIN proved that with a killer light show and solid stage production, you don’t need much else to put on an impressive show that’s both entertaining and immersive. With a mix of classic hits and fresh tracks, they delivered a fantastic setlist, and for the final stop of the tour, they made sure to go out with a bang.
Text and photos by Laureline Tilkin
Setlist
- Same Old Song
- I’m Going In
- Don’t Wake the Dead
- Call Me
- Push the Pusher
- Revolution
- End of the Line
- Zombie Slam
- Suicide Machine
- The Great Pretender
- Go With the Flow
- Party in My Head
- Coming Home
- Have a Drink on Me
- Let Me Out
- On and On
- Shut Your Mouth
