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!
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