Top 5 Sabaton Albums

Well fellow Otaku & Metalheads, it’s the last day of the Summer Of Sabaton.

This was a fun little summer event. Sure, I had taken a break last month to talk about my dearly departed friend Isabelle, but she’s just as badass & metal as these glorious swedes, so I think it’s okay. At the beginning of August, I took a look at the last 2 releases from these guys (Carolus Rex & The Great War), but to conclude things for this event, I wanted to talk about the Sabaton albums that you need to listen to, and to add to your musical library. In my view, these are all essential, but everybody is going to have their own opinion, and I think that’s okay if you ask me. So, without further delay, here are the top 5 Sabaton albums you have to own. Let’s begin.

5) Metalizer (Song)

I might have said this in my review back in June, but I feel kinda bad for Metalizer. Sure, the audio & production quality leave a little to be desired, and it somehow feels older than even Primo Victoria, but there’s just some kind of odd charm to it. Much like Against The Law from Stryper, this record acts as a window into Sabaton’s distant past. Long before the band became known for mixing historical warfare & Power Metal, they came across more like a typical Power Metal band that sang about typical metallic things, and yet it’s still tons of fun to listen to. Thanks to the Metalizer re-release, we have both the original Fist For Fight version, and the updated one released in 2007. While it’s not uber essential, Metalizer shall forever remain a curiosity that pops into my head from time to time.

4) The Great War (Song)

As much as I enjoyed The War To End All Wars from 2022, I gotta admit that the band’s first venture into the history of World War 1 is the one that I enjoy just a little more. Not only did it mark the second time I ever saw the band (Hint Hint), but taking things in a darker direction was surprising to me, but oddly welcome at the same time. From the introduction of tanks, to the tale of Francis Pegahmagabow, and concluding with the tragic poem of Flanders Fields, Sabaton hit surprisingly hard with this release. If anything, it would be a crime to not have put the record on the list, especially since the album turns 5 not that long ago. If you like the band more on the darker side than the serious side, The Great War is for you.

3) Primo Victoria (Song)

It wouldn’t be right not to include the band’s first official release on this list. Though it doesn’t sound or feel as dated as Metalizer, you can definitely tell that it’s almost 20 years old. Even with that fact, it’s still a great starting point for Sabaton, as well as their historically charged Power Metal. From the opening track about the D-Day landing, to the 1st of three Heavy Metal tribute songs, there’s a surprising medley of tunes to get into. Hell, there was even coverage of Operation Desert Storm & Operation Iraqi Freedom, the later of which just under or over by the time that this album came out. With it turning fully 20 in March next year, I can only hope that the boys do something special to celebrate the occasion.

2) Carolus Rex (Song)

Like I said in my review at the beginning of the month, Carolus Rex is my least favorite of the band’s discography. The one step towards seriousness turns me off somewhat, but I cannot deny the incredible levels of quality that Sabaton put into this release, nor can I not ignore it’s legacy. In the 12+ years since it’s release, many of the songs off of the record have been played the world over, and even in America the legacy of one of Sweden’s most iconic kings is well known. As for how it performed in their native country.....quadruple platinum status after being on the Swedish charts for 326 weeks (This is taken from my review, btw). Don’t think I can say anymore than that.

1) The Last Stand (Song)

And here it is. The no. 1 Sabaton Album you should have in your collection. I admit that The Last Stand makes it here because it was the first ever record I ever bought & listened to, so I confess that there’s a bit of a bias here. Even so, it’s hard not to appreciate what the band was going for here: taking a similar page from their prior record Heroes, they tell triumphant tales of some of warfare’s most iconic last stands, and the men that went through them. Regardless of whether they won or not, each song fills you up with positivity & get you moving for quite a while. On top of that, they were touring this album all the way back in 2017, and that was the first time I ever saw them live....so that will always stick with me.

And this was the top 5 Sabaton albums you should listen to. Most of the choices I picked for this list are quite standard listening from the band, but they’re so good & iconic it’s hard to disagree. With that everyone, the Summer Of Sabaton is truly done, and we’re not too far away from the beginning of the Fall season. However, September is not too far away, and with that something special is coming. See you soon!

Album Review: Sabaton's The Great War

The Summer Of Sabaton’s end is just about here fellow Otaku & Metalheads.

It’s definitely been an interesting ride this year. I covered their releases from 2006 to 2008 in June, and took a brief break last month to show off the book that my sadly departed friend Isabelle had tried to write. Already in August on the 1st, I reviewed their ode to their home country & one of it’s most iconic rulers in Carolus Rex, and now we turn our attention to World War 1. The first truly modern war in history, the scars left by all of the shelling & gas is still very apparent if you know where to look, and still sends a chill up the spine. Fast forward to 2019, and the band finally decided to enter the Western Front with what is possibly the bleakest record they’ve ever done. Also, with it turning 5 years old last month on the 19th, it seemed only right to celebrate it’s shellshocked birthday. So, get on your gas mask, fix your bayonet, and prepare to go over the top to check out my review for The Great War. Let’s begin.

Background
The beginning of 2019 marked a busy period for the band. On January the 8th, Sabaton announced the creation of Sabaton History, which was a cooperation between Indy Neidell, TimeGhost History and the band themselves. The youtube channel documents the history of the events behind the band’s songs and the songs themselves, with the channel being created on the 7th of February. Then a few months later of the 22nd of April, the band released a standalone single "Bismarck", in a collaboration with the company Wargaming and their game, World of Warships. A few weeks prior to this on the 2nd of April, it was announced that a new concept album about the First World War would be released a little later on in the year. Entitled as The Great War, it would go on to be released on July the 19th, 2019, and have 3 singles before it came out: Fields of Verdun on the 3rd of May, The Red Baron, on the 13th of June, and on the 27th of June, the title track for the album came out.

The Great War received mostly praise upon release. Metal Hammer's Holly Wright gave it 4/5 stars, praising it as "a rip-roaring, riff-addled march towards victory, coaxing influences from folk and power metal that sounds remarkably upbeat for an account of bloodthirsty mass destruction", The Guardian's Dave Simpson rated it 3 out of 5 stars, saying he preferred the History version, which precedes the songs with voiceovers describing the events the songs are about (I didn’t review the History version), and Loudwire named it one of the 50 best metal albums of 2019. Some nice praise right there if you ask me.

Basic Description
The trenches brought to life.

No matter what stage of warfare they cover, these beautiful swedes all manage to find a proper balance between immense respect of the history in question, and knowing how to have fun with it. Even on The Great War, that balance between respect & fun is still very apparent, and it never wavers at any point. With that said, this release is the darkest that Sabaton has ever done. Outside of an exception or two, this album really feels like they managed to somehow resurrect World War 1 & it’s overall bleakness a little over a century after it concluded in 2019. From the mud, to the drumfire from the artillery, and the devastation from all of the fighting, they really crafted a record that’s as devastating to the ears, as it was to the soul.....silly as that last part sounds.

Best Track
I said it when I updated the overview, and I’ll say it again here: Attack Of The Dead Men is the best damn song on the album. Detailing one of the most horrific battles of the early parts of WW1, the band managed to craft what is quite possibly their first ever horror song. The atmosphere is thick & corrosive, the vocal work has the vibe of an officer giving orders, and while the instrumentation is powerful, there’s this uneasy feeling that creeps into your body as the song plays, letting go only when the final note plays. The band has definitely crafted tunes that’ll make you feel a little uneasy, but Attack Of The Dead Men is the first time they’ve ever creeped you out.

Attack Of The Dead Men

Worst Track
Like I said when I updated the overview back in 2019, but The Great War is shockingly dark for a Sabaton album. Granted, this is Sabaton we’re talking about, as there’s still plenty of upbeat energy to find, but just the fact that they went dark in any capacity is very surprising. Even Carolus Rex, as serious as that release was, knew when to let a little light in. Outside of that, the only thing I could complain about would be it’s length, or rather how the length feels. Coming in at 38 minutes & 27 seconds, the record is on the smaller side of lengthy, but when I listen to the whole this it feels like it goes by faster than that. I don’t know why, as when I listen to individual tracks I don’t get this feeling, but when I listen to The Great War in it’s entirety for some reason I do.

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then click on the link below:

The Great War

Overall Impression & Rating
The Great War is good. Damn Good. In addition to charging into WW1 history without a scratch, it also was a great way to close out their time in 2010s. Darkness not withstanding, Sabaton showed that they were just as comfortable using the history of the war to end all wars as effectively as everything else they’ve used prior, they also laid the groundwork for them to come back to a prior subject matter in 2022....but I already covered that last year (Read Here). Regardless, The Great War was the band stepping into some new shoes, and walking around without missing a beat. Definitely something to listen to if you’re looking for something different from these guys.

The Great War gets a 9.5 out of 10.

And that was my review for The Great War. Definitely a little less approachable when compared to their prior output on account of the seriousness, but still an absolute blast to listen to when the mood hits. Now ladies & gentlemen & everything in between, the Summer Of Sabaton has come to an end. However, join me at the end of the month for one last little thing. See you then!

Album Review: Sabaton's Carolus Rex

The Summer of Sabaton continues & ends this month fellow Otaku & Metalheads.

I took a break last month from covering these steely swedes to show off the book that my sadly departed friend Isabelle tried to write, as I considered her just as badass as the band. Now that I’m done looking at her book, it’s time to get back into looking at the remaining albums I haven’t looked at yet, and today’s review is an interesting one. Released in 2012, it would go on to be one of if not their most popular album they’ve ever released. So popular in fact, that it got a re-release in 2018 & sold insanely well in their native Sweden. And yet, it’s an oddity for me....but we’ll have to wait for that in just a little bit. In any case, get on your blue & yellow uniform, pray to god and country, and enjoy my review for Carolus Rex. Let’s begin!

Background
With Coat Of Arms helping Sabaton storm into the 2010s, it seemed like it would be smooth sailing for the band. Once it reached 2012 however, that was not the case, as guitarists Oskar Montelius and Rikard Sundén, drummer Daniel Mullback and keyboardist Daniel Myhr left the band, leaving Joakim & bass player Pär Sundström as the soul original members (Joakim confirmed this in March of 2012). The band members that left would go on to form the band Civil War alongside vocalist Nils Patrik Johansson and bassist Stefan Eriksson, while Sabaton brought on Chris Rörland and Thobbe Englund on guitar, and Robban Bäck on drums, and once Sabaton 2.0 was completed, they got back to work on the record they were working on, and on the 25th of May in that year, their ode to their home country of Sweden was released, and it’s name was Carolus Rex. A few months later in November, Robban took a break from touring due to becoming a father, and was replaced by Snowy Shaw as touring drummer, who in turn was replaced by Hannes Van Dahl in November 2013 (Prior to the replacement, Van Dahl worked as Shaw's drum technician while drumming for the band Evergrey).

The reception for Carolus Rex was absolutely wild. On the 18th of September in 2012, it would sell over 30,000 copies (20,000 copies is needed for a record to be certified gold in Sweden), in March of 2013 it was certified gold in Poland, and just a few months later in June of 2013 it would be certified platinum in Sweden with 40,000 album sales, making it the "most successful Swedish heavy metal album ever" according to Sabaton. Flash forward to the 28th of September in 2018, and it would be given quadruple platinum status after being on the Swedish charts for 326 weeks, a number of limited edition versions and merchandise were created to celebrate the occasion, and were set for release on the 30th of November, 2018, on the day of the 300th anniversary of the death of Charles XII. Finally, in 2019 Metal Hammer magazine would declare Carolus Rex to be the 20th best power metal album of all time (Read Here).

Basic Description
My least favorite Sabaton album.

Right away, fans of the band will have done a double take so hard, their necks will snap. Let’s get this out of the way: Carolus Rex is not bad. Far from it. As their second release in the 2010s, it manages to eclipse the excellent Coat Of Arms in so many ways. The instrumentation is grander, the vocal work is epic, and the history that’s covered is something you don’t often hear about. Swedish history is interesting, especially when it comes to the various rulers of the monarchy. However, the reason why this album is my least favorite.....is because I think they take themselves too seriously. To play devil’s advocate, I understand why they were kinda serious, as Sabaton were showing their love towards the country of their birth, and it’s glorious past. Even so, it is surprising that they were more serious than normal, but luckily that would not last long (Read Here).

Best Track
In a bizarre twist, my favorite track actually has nothing to do with the story that the band is telling, but instead is a bonus song. Available only on later releases, their cover of In The Army Now stands out when compared to the main bulk of Carolus Rex, especially when you find out that it’s a cover of a cover. It was originally released by Bolland & Bolland back in 1981, and would receive it’s first cover in 1986 by British rock band Status Quo. Sabaton’s take on the song is far better than the prior two: Bolland & Bolland’s original comes across as weirdly dream-like in terms of vibes, and while Status Quo adds in a little bit of militaristic feels, it still comes across like a dream. This version goes full-blown military, complete with militaristic instrumentation, and serious vocal work from Joakim that’s really unusual for those who are newer fans of the band. It definitely stands apart from all of the other songs, and that’s why it’s my favorite track & the best track on this CD.

In The Army Now

Worst Track
Like I said above, Carolus Rex doesn’t have a single bad song on it. From beginning to end, you’re treated to a fascinating story about one of the most interesting kings in history, and it’s quite the story. Again, my only fault with it is that it takes one step towards being too serious, and losing sight of the history/fun balance. The Great War from 2019 would have a similar issue....but I’ll talk about that next week.

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then click on the link below:

Carolus Rex (w Bonus Tracks)

Also, I should say that I reviewed the English version of the album. While it’s cool that the band performed in their native language for the record (And live as well), something about hearing it in my language let’s me understand it better.

Overall Impression & Rating
Carolus Rex is a fine feather in Sabaton’s cap. While I do think the move towards being a little more serious is odd (But understandable), it doesn’t ruin just how good all of the songs on Carolus Rex are, and it is a genuinely good listen to. Even though it’s not my absolute favorite record of theirs, I still can’t deny that it does get me going a little. Definitely something to enjoy if you’re in the mood for some Swedish!

Carolus Rex gets an 8 out of 10 for me, but I can easily understand why most if not all fans give it a 10 out of 10.

And that was my review for Carolus Rex. Again, it’s not my favorite Sabaton, but I recognize the level of quality & respect for the history is speaks of. So, join me next week for when we’ll enter the Great War for the second time.....for the first time. Until then, take care!