Presented by Rockfact Music Club & Jaunty Productions

Rockfact Music Club, Münchenstein,  Switzerland – 01.05.2026

The German metal band Soulbound companied their countrymen Mono Inc  as special guests last year. At the same time they performed at the sold out Z- 7 in Pratteln. They released their album „sYn“ in 2026 and embarked on a headliner tour to promote it. Pinhead became the special guest. There was a stop for an exlusive Swiss concert at the venue Rockfact Music Club in Münchenstein on labor day. It was an event you couldn't miss. Instead of going to protests, people would rather go to a metal concert. It's less violent

there, and the atmosphere is better. I enjoy wonderful, sunny weather and and after I saw a large crowd of waiting metal fans in front of the Rockfact Music Club after my arrival. That made me smile. The admission was granted at 7 p.m. After entering, you headed straight to the bar to get something to drink and evitate dehydration. It also gave a chance to take a look at the stage. Pinhead was allowed to kick off the night at 8 p.m. I didn’t know them at all, but I was familiar with the character Pinhead from the “Hellraiser” horror movies. Behind Pinhead lies an unconventional and unique art project whose sole member is multi-instrumentalist, producer, songwriter, and singer Ilja John Lappin. It serves as an outlet for his emotions and thoughts. I was curious to see how this art form would unfold before me. An intro began, stage fog billowed from the machines, and the stage turned red. Singer Ilija John Lappin took the stage first, followed by his bandmates, who took their positions one by one. Then came the full force of industrial modern metalcore. Ilija addressed the audience after the first song: “Hey Rockfact fans, we’re Pinhead from Berlin and Hanover, and we’re thrilled to be here tonight.” The sound was very diverse and at times quite atmospheric. The electronic beats blended seamlessly, and Florian Flescher’s guitar riffs were clean and precise. Bassist Mark Andrejkovits incorporated the groove. Drummer Simon Schröder pounded the pedals and impressed with his playing style. The melancholic lyrics drawn from Ilija’s emotional and mental world were transmited with intensity and deep feeling. He sang clearly and captivated the audience with his stage presence and stage presence. However, he also showed his harder facet with growls. Although the stage wasn’t very large, the band members switched sides. “This is our first time in Switzerland tonight, and we’d like to thank you for your warm, heartfelt welcome. The Germans could take a page from your book.” He received a lot of applause for that statement . Breakdowns were also incorporated into the sound from time to time. The focus was on promoting their album “Egomessiah.” “We’re currently finishing up a new album. It’s going to be called ‘Beauty in Pain,’ and you’re about to hear a song from it.” It was a clever move to introduce the crowd to a new, unreleased song and get them excited for the second album. In the run-up to the concert, Soulbound and Pinhead recorded the collaborative song “Lament Box,” which was hit with the audience.  After “Beauty in Pain,” Ilija pulled out a cello halfway through the song and began playing it. This added more depth to the performance. During the heavier parts, as Ilija walked out onto the platform in front of the stage toward the audience, plumes of fog shot out and enveloped him. It looked great. Everyone in the audience waved their cell phone flashlights back and forth in the last song. In the middle of the 8-minute song, Ilija slung a bass around his neck, and  the volume was cranked up and the intensity returned after longer, quieter moments. After the final song, he announced, “It was an honor to play for you tonight.”  Ilija and his bandmates said goodbye to the audience. Forty minutes were enough to make a very good impression at their live premiere. Unfortunately, no setlist was available, but every song impressed with its varied structure. There was a short break before headliner Soulbound took the stage at 9:05 p.m. The stage was bathed in red light as with the support act, the intro “Abaddon” began to ring out, and wisps of fog poured out of the speakers. Then “sYn” kicked off the show. A catchy track got the audience moving from the very first second and brought smiles to their faces. Singer Johannes “Johnny” Stecker seemed delighted and said, “Thanks for being here. We’re Soulbound from Bielefeld, and we’re playing our first headlining show abroad. We’re really looking forward to spending the evening with you.” After “sYnfluencer” came “MarchMarch”, which reminded me a little of Rammstein. Guitarist Felix started with military-style marching movements to the beat and then kicked in with the riffs. He also played his guitar behind his back after Johnny stepped in front of him and started doing funny dance moves. He asked “Are you all doing okay?”, and received a loud “Yes.” In “Addicted to Hell,” the audience sang along to the chorus at the top of their lungs. A serious topic came up with “Undone”: depression. Johnny shared a story from his life how he continues to battle it to this day. All audience members received glow sticks, and this was a symbol everyone holding one in their hands could be there for someone with this illness. We had to wave our hands from left to right as instructed. The same vibe continued with “Devil,” which dealt with inner turmoil, narcissism, compulsive self-destruction, and depression. Johnny said before “Not Metal Enough,”: “We were told by labels, Saturn, Media Markt, and booking agencies that we weren’t Power metal enough, Gothic metal enough, and not Viking metal enough. We don’t care about these stereotypes at all. We do what comes from the heart and we enjoy it.” A clear statement against labeling people. “Cutting Diamonds” was about the loss of a friendship  you thought it would last forever. A boy and a girl were standing in front of the stage during the concert, and Johnny leaned down toward the girl and said, “We had our album release party in Bielefeld, and there was a little girl in a snowflake costume standing in front of the stage because she saw me in the YouTube video where I was freezing. It looked so cute.”  The entire audience was urged to shout those words in “Fuck You” because this song is dedicated to bullies and heartless people who constantly step on others. There was an announcement I’d never heard before after “Forever in the Dark”. Johnny said, “We’re not doing any encores; we  just doing it.”  “Chaos & Amen” was played, and, “Alive” was the final song with intro. Black balloons with the band’s logo were thrown into the crowd, and Johnny left the stage and walked through the crowd. That was so kind of him to get close to the fans. “Thank you so much for being here with us tonight. It was a true honor to play here.” The show was over. However, no one was allowed to leave, as the members of Pinhead joined the members of Soulbound on stage to take a final selfie with the spectatords. A 100-minute performance that was fun from start to finish and made an excellent impression. The five-piece from Bielefeld was given a standing ovation as they left the stage. Setliste Soulbound Abaddon sYn sYnfluencer MarchMarch Addicted to hell Insane Saint Sinner Lioness Undone No Kings For Me Devil Not Metal Enough Isolate Cutting Diamonds Dark Throne Neon Battlefield Paralyzed Fuck You Forever in the Dark Chaos & Amen Alive (with Intro) After the show, many fans flocked to the Soulbound and Pinhead merchandise corner, where CDs, T-shirts, and lighters were on offer. I’ve to give Pinhead major credit for offering a free patch and the song “Signals From The Box” as a download as a reward for signing up for their newsletter. You don’t see that every day. Conclusion: A successful evening came to an end. Both bands did impressive performances. The audience was a major highlight. In my opinion, every member got fully involved, let the musicians know how much fun everyone had. There was no hint of restraint - just joy and satisfaction. Unfortunately, the lighting conditions made it difficult to take photos. Many thanks to Madeleine Fuhrer from Jaunty Productions. The weekend became enjoyable with your contribution. Livereport by Dominic Latscha