As we kick 2024 out the door and welcome 2025 with open arms, join us for a series of interviews with artists who’ve braved the year’s riffs, breakdowns, and questionable soundchecks. We’re diving into their triumphs, challenges, and everything that kept the music industry alive and kicking. We sat down with Gothic metal act FOR MY PAIN… to hear how they experienced 2024.
2024 Was FOR MY PAIN…’s comeback year. Would you say the comeback was a success?
Juha: Yes, it most definitely was… and is. To be honest, we had no expectations whatsoever for the comeback. We just felt it was the right time to do new music and the magic appeared to be real and still there, so why not? The starting point was to create something new yet still not forget the “Fallen” era music, so it was like starting a very old car after twenty years and luckily… it actually ignited.
You had your first show in a long time in May in Oulu and the venue was packed. I’m assuming that was a highlight for you but were there any others?
Juha: Many other highlights! The whole process has been a highlight. We create new music with new awesome facilities in our own studio and it feels great. Even though we still suffer the curse of eternal darkness and misery, creating new [music] and publishing it all by our own rules is fascinating. Yes, it swallows all our energy but that is something we were prepared to do. All the live performances have been personal joyrides since we put the band back together so yes, let’s see what we really made of.
You also released two singles, “Recoil Into Darkness” and “Witch Bitch Elite.” How have the fans’ reactions been?
Juha: Amazing, I don’t know how else to put it. Both of the songs differ from each other but the best part is to see that our listeners have embraced them both very warmly and understood and accepted the new flavor also.
Have you (re-)discovered any music during 2024 that you can share with us?
Juha: Actually I haven’t listened to much music at all. It’s always the same for me when I’m creating/writing new stuff. I don’t really know why. But I have been reading like a maniac. I read more books than digital services and libraries can offer. I’m hooked, a maniac. I read all kinds of stuff actually but for some reason, I consume dystopic novels, science stuff, and also poetry, bios, and nature sciences. Occasionally I listen to old CHILDREN OF BODOM, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, CARCASS stuff… and oh NIGHTINGALE‘s and NESTOR‘s albums.
What do you have planned for 2025?
Juha: We are making new stuff with full steam, so yeah, it’s no surprise that we are aiming to have a full album out during ’25. Also, we already have some live performances on our calendar too so I’m sure that 2025 will be a busy year for FOR MY PAIN… So many painful moments coming up!!
Interview by Laureline Tilkin
