Judas Priest opened their Summer 2025 Shield of Pain trek in Turku, Finland, with “All Guns Blazing” followed immediately by “Hell Patrol,” setting a decisive tone that never wavered for the remaining 17 songs. The setting — Rockfest’s massive main stage on June 12 — was perfect for a performance that leaned heavily on Painkiller, the 1990 record that re-established the band’s place in metal’s upper tier after the rise of thrash metal spearheaded by Metallica, Slayer, and Pantera.
Painkiller dominated the night. In addition to the title track, the band wove in “A Touch of Evil,” “Night Crawler,” “One Shot at Glory,” and “Between the Hammer and the Anvil.” Hearing “Night Crawler” for the first time since 2012 felt like a gift to die-hard followers, while “One Shot at Glory” gave the front half of the set an almost album-playthrough feel.
New material held its own. “The Serpent and the King” made its live debut, bolstered by earlier Invincible Shield cuts “Gates of Hell” and “Giants in the Sky.” All three sat comfortably alongside staples such as “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’,” “Freewheel Burning,” “Breaking the Law,” and “Solar Angels,” proving that Judas Priest can still balance nostalgia with progression after half a century on the road.
The back stretch leaned into collective memory: “Metal Gods” shook the grounds, “Judas Rising” reminded everyone of the band’s 2000s resurgence, and a closing trio of “Painkiller,” “Hell Bent for Leather,” and “Living After Midnight” sent Rockfest attendees home hoarse but happy. One surprise: the customary “Electric Eye” was nowhere to be found, an omission that may spark set-list debates all summer.
The full setlist from Rockfest was as follows:
- “All Guns Blazing” (Painkiller)
- “Hell Patrol” (Painkiller)
- “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'” (Screaming for Vengeance)
- “Freewheel Burning” (Defenders of the Faith)
- “Breaking the Law” (British Steel)
- “A Touch of Evil” (Painkiller)
- “Night Crawler” (Painkiller)
- “Firepower” (Firepower)
- “Solar Angels” (Point of Entry)
- “Gates of Hell” (Invincible Shield)
- “Metal Gods” (British Steel)
- “The Serpent and the King” (Invincible Shield)
- “One Shot at Glory” (Painkiller)
- “Between the Hammer and the Anvil” (Painkiller)
- “Judas Rising” (Angel of Retribution)
- “Giants in the Sky” (Invincible Shield)
- “Painkiller” (Painkiller)
- “Hell Bent for Leather” (Hell Bent for Leather)
- “Living After Midnight” (British Steel)
