PAIN (special guests: Oceans)
Wednesday, 12 Feb 2025
Ljubljana / Cvetličarna / Slovenia
Peter Tägtgren! This is the man widely regarded as one of the central figures of heavy metal over the last thirty years — not only as a producer behind countless albums from established names on the metal scene, but as a genuine musical visionary, and right now his PAIN are experiencing a real, full-blown flowering. The band released their ninth studio album “I Am” last May, and at the end of October the eponymous European tour had already brought them to Ljubljana’s Cvetličarna for the first time (Rockline concert review). And given how fresh the latest studio album still is, and the real popularity and recognition PAIN enjoy across the old continent — something Tägtgren couldn’t even have dreamed of when he first (alongside his Hypocrisy) quietly launched what was supposed to be a ‘side project’ — it simply pays to strike while the iron is hot. And Peter and the crew know that very well.
So the quartet returned to Ljubljana a year and a half later. Same lineup, with a slightly tweaked repertoire that caused no major upheaval. If anything, the setlist was even more devoted to promoting the latest studio album “I Am” than the previous tour had been.
February 12, 2025 — the night the band touched down in the Slovenian capital again — also marked Oceans’ very first show on the “I Am” tour. This Vienna-Berlin quartet released their third studio album “Happy” last year (though nothing about them live feels remotely in tune with that title). The band plays an interesting metalcore that’s hard to pin down, with elements of melodic death metal and post-metal sneaking in, which makes them considerably more compelling and, consequently, more attractive. The crew pointed out that this was not only their debut show on the “I Am” tour but also their first ever visit to Slovenia. The band delivered a portrait of a very tight, well-drilled unit — confirmed by razor-sharp breakdowns and, more broadly, by transitions within songs that, for a base metalcore recipe, are pleasingly varied and dynamic. Vocalist Timo Schwämmlein juggled growls, screamed highs, and emo clean vocals with impressive dexterity, and he’s clearly very much at home in the frontman role: by the end he had the entire audience — in perfectly obedient unison — dutifully sitting down on the Cvetličarna floor at his command. Worth noting: Oceans brought their own mixing desks for both lights and sound, which speaks volumes about the band’s commitment to delivering their best on every stage.
PAIN! Right. The turnout this time wasn’t quite as strong as a year and a half ago — probably in part because PAIN didn’t have as big a name alongside them as Ensiferum (who bring a sizeable fanbase of their own) — but that didn’t affect the evening’s trajectory in any way: another brilliant party, firmly in the jurisdiction of melodic industrial/gothic metal that, at its finest, happily rubs shoulders with the pompous infectiousness of pop rock.
Tägtgren and the crew hadn’t forgotten to slap on their zombie makeup this time either. The production didn’t pack quite the same impulsive charge as a year and a half ago on the same stage, but it didn’t scrimp on great energy for a second. In one of the breaks, Peter addressed the crowd with a line everyone understood: “Our mission is to make you happy!” And that’s exactly what PAIN delivered. The songs from “I Am” have well and truly bedded in by now, and the front rows were singing wide open and fired up alongside Peter and the crew whenever it was time to take on the verses!
It’s no longer news that PAIN know exactly what ‘glam’ means. Naturally they’ve tailored that element to their own artistry, so once again they weren’t shy about playing with theatricality and a light, parodic self-mockery — and that quality keeps winning them fresh waves of fans! With none of the arrogance that a figure of Tägtgren’s calibre could easily afford, Peter steered the crowd effortlessly through an hour and fifteen minutes of repertoire. There was no obligatory encore this time, but the show ran exactly as long as the one on October 24, 2023 at Cvetličarna!
The highlights need no listing here — they’re well known. The crowd went especially wild for End Of The Line, Same Old Song, Party In My Head, and of course the song everyone had been feverishly waiting for all night, which PAIN craftily saved for the very finale: Shut Your Mouth! A performance full of routine and experience, but with exactly the right dose of playfulness that kept smiles on faces throughout.
Tägtgren is an incredibly charismatic guy! The string of vivid grimaces he pulls during the show is wildly infectious, and it’s a quality he deploys with exceptional skill. That charisma is what keeps the crowd locked in tight. And once again the show flew by in no time — not because of the 75 minutes per se, but because of the sheer magnetism that the person and persona of Peter Tägtgren conjure live. Soundwise, this show also came across as considerably better executed than the previous one at this venue. All those samples coexisted far more harmoniously with the two guitars, the rhythm section, and Tägtgren’s vocals than they had on the previous Ljubljana visit!
It was a Wednesday in the middle of February. A short day swallowed in a flash by a long night, and once again that foggy, rainy weather where everything just ‘drips’! But PAIN, with their playful wit, musical infectiousness, a pinch of bombast (internalized pop rhetoric), and yet a strictly professional performance, genuinely managed to chase that bleak picture far away — delivering a show that was a successful mission, sending everyone present into the red zone of a great mood. All that cheer and high spirits lingered at the venue long after the band had taken their bow and left the stage!
Text: Edita Klemen & Aleš Podbrežnik
Photos: Aleš Podbrežnik & Edita Klemen
PAIN – setlist:
1. I Just Dropped By (To Say Goodbye)
2. End of the Line
3. Call Me
4. Zombie Slam
5. Suicide Machine
7. Push the Pusher
8. Go With the Flow
9. Same Old Song
10. Don’t Wake the Dead
11. Revolution
12. The Great Pretender
13. Party in My Head
14. Have a Drink on Me
15. It’s Only Them
16. Let Me Out
17. Shut Your Mouth
