Metal Overview: Sabaton

Welcome back fellow Otaku & Metalheads, to the near conclusion of Power Metal Pandemonium!

So far this August, we took a look at two of Sabaton’s great albums in a discography of great albums. However, 2 records to not a look at a band make. To get a complete vision of Sabaton, we got to go into overview territory. That’s right, a full look at this Power Metal titan requires such an examination. So, get on your combat boots, look for the entrance to the nearest bunker, and behold my bombastic look at Sabaton! Enjoy.

Fist For Fight (2000)

Right now, some of you are probably scratching your heads at this. Fist For Fight? What the hell is Fist For Fight? Isn’t Primo Victoria their first album? These are all good questions, and legitimate ones as well. To answer one of them: yes, Primo Victoria is their first official album. However, at the start of the new millennium, Sabaton released what was technically their first record. A demo in fact. Released back sometime in 2000, details are rather sketchy about Fist For Fight. From what I can gather the original incarnation of the band had gotten together, and managed to crank out this demo. That’s just from what little I know about this thing.

Best Track? Gotta go with the original version of Metalizer. That older demo sound adds something to this song that the 2007 version seems to be lacking. Somehow, it creates a song that sound rather old-school, but at the same time shows off future potential for a new band. I can’t say much more than that.

Metalizer (Demo Edition) (Go to 9 minutes & 31 seconds to hear it.)

Worst Track? Fist For Fight has only 2 faults to it’s name. The first is the sound quality, and while I won’t call it horrific, it definitely sounds somewhat dated. Give that it was meant as a demo, I can’t truly complain. The one thing I can certainly complain about is it’s availability, and holy crap I might as well be looking for the holy grail! Though it would eventually get re-released alongside their 2007 offering, finding an original copy of Fist For Fight is essentially impossible. There was 1 used copy on Amazon a while back, but that fetched for the horrific price of somewhere in the 600 dollar range! Your only way to get it nowadays would be to download it, and there’s enough sources for that. 

Fist For Fight. Definitely on the dated side, but if you can get past how it sounds, there’s something definitely bubbling underneath the surface. Recommended definitely for fans of Sabaton, but mildly recommended for everybody else. Next album!

Primo Victoria (2005)

Now we’re talking!

After getting their feet wet with Fist For Fight, they managed to catch the attention of their then current record company, and got a boost from them in the process. With this boost, they marched out in Power Metal conquest, and the first part of their campaign was the iconic Primo Victoria. Released on March 4, 2005, Sabaton brought a new form of Power Metal to the word. A form that went through the typical sounds, bells, and whistles, but it took on warfare and the real-world history therein. It was a new approach to the genre that normally dealt with fantasy, but it was one in which metalheads took to with surprisingly swiftness.

Best Track? Like I said in my review, the title track & Metal Machine are the best songs on Primo Victora, not to mention my favorites tracks. The former speaks of the iconic D-Day landing, while the later is just a fun excuse to put as many rock & metal references into a song. Pretty much everything on the record is awesome to listen to, but these two tunes (In my opinion) really capture the essence of what Sabaton is offering here.

Primo Victoria

Metal Machine

Worst Track? Like I stated earlier this month, Primo Victoria’s only flaw is the mild datedness that seems to hang around. As I said then, it doesn’t ruin the music in any way. It just makes it sound not quite as fresh & modern as everything else they put out. That’s all.

Primo Victoria. Sabaton’s first, true journey into the realm of Power Metal, and a iconic one at that. If you like origins stories, then this might be for you. Next album!

Attero Dominatus (2006) ***a

After arming themselves with a righteous beginning record, Sabaton continued their march for militaristic Power Metal conquest, and 2006 was to be another victory for the band, thanks to their 2nd record, Attero Dominatus. Released on July 28, 2006, the band actually recorded the album from March to May of that year, which is pretty fast if you ask me. The band also managed to get a music video of the title track recorded, with help from Nocturnal Rites' drummer Owe Lingvall (Another Power Metal group from Sweden).

Best Track? To be perfectly honest, all songs on Attero Dominatus are of excellent quality. From beginning to end, your treated to one of the best metallic assaults of the mid-2000s, and the album covers a variety of topics as well (WW1 & The Falklands to name 2). However, I got to give credit to the title track of the album: singing about the Battle of Berlin, Sabaton does something different, and sing about is from the Russian perspective. In that regard, the track is very triumphant in feeling, and you get a sense of triumph when the song completes. Almost as if you fought alongside the Russians themselves. Pretty cool if you ask me!

Attero Dominatus

Worst Track? To be perfectly honest, every track on this album is wonderful to listen to (Whether it’s the original or the re-release with bonus tracks). On occasion you might get a snip-it of dated audio, but those moments are so few they’re practically non-existent. Apart from that, Attero Dominatus is a perfect album, and acts as a natural evolution of the band’s sound & talent. Next album!

Metalizer (2007)

Though I consider all of Sabaton’s discography to be pleasant to listen, Metalizer might be the only record that I think is theoretically weak. Released on March the 16th 2007, Metalizer first got it start in the band’s earliest hey-days. 2002 to be exact. After releasing Fist For Fight, the band began work on what seemed like their first album, only for there to be trouble with their record company at the time. Metalizer was put on the backburner, and Sabaton in the meantime cranked out two incredible records (See above). Once 2005 & 2006 were taken over by their might, Sabaton got to revisit music from their earliest days, and Metalizer was finally able to see the light. While a fine release, it’s surprising at how much hate it can get, whether by fans of the band or not. It deserves a little, but nowhere near as much as it does.

Best Track? Much like Fist For Fight, I gotta give it up to Metalizer. This time around it’s the title track of an album, rather than being just another song. Thanks to the improvements in production quality, the tune is much more crisp & clean than it’s 2000 counterpart. Apart from that, not much has really changed lyrically, or even instrumentally for that matter.

Metalizer (2007 Version)

Worst Track? As great as the album is, it isn’t that much of a departure from their 2000 release. The lyrics & vocals haven’t really changed, the instrumentation hasn’t really changed, and even the pacing wasn’t truly altered in any meaningful way. Apart from the production quality & some different tracks (Along with tracklisting), Metalizer is essentially a carbon copy of Fist For Fight, and that single point lends fuel to the critics of this album.

Metalizer. Not an essential Sabaton record, but at the same time is a fun one. If you find this for cheap, then grab it without delay. Next album!

The Art of War (2008) ***b

It seems as if Sabaton at this point is an unstoppable war machine, trampling those unaware with their military-themed brand of Power Metal, and 2008 was yet another year to conquer. Only this time, they had help from one of Ancient China’s most iconic philosophers. Released on May the 30th of 2008, The Art of War marks the first of many concept albums for Sabaton. Taking excerpts from the legendary tome of the same name as the album, and combining it with battles from World War 1 & 2 (Both wars used the book extensively at time), the band proved that they’re capable of creating some headbanging music, while at the same time giving it a surprising dose of intelligence & history.

Best Track? Bit of a tie between the 2nd opening track Ghost Division (A song about Erwin Rommel and the 7th Panzer Division), and the ode to Vikings known as Swedish Pagans. Both of these songs have since become standard for Sabaton’s concerts with their release, with the former almost always being one of the openers, and the latter often being played as part of a small comedy skit (The song has become something of a running joke, with Joakim often saying he hates it). Curiously, Swedish Pagans wasn’t on the original release, but instead was one of the bonus tracks on the 2010 re-release. Whether it was an track meant for the original pressing of the album & they forgot it or intended it to be on the 2010 version, I’m not sure.

Ghost Division

Swedish Pagans

Worst Track? Absolutely nothing! All of the music on this record is of top quality, as is essentially everything that Sabaton creates. The only thing one could be nitpicky about is how much more structured the album is compared to their prior engagements. Taking the idea of the Art of War and mixing it WW1 & WW2 battles, gives the record a more focused appeal. I’ll talk about this point later on, but suffice it to say this might make or break it for some listeners, as the more focused vibes might not be appealing.

The Art of War. A record that Sun Tzu himself would be proud of. If you see this CD in any music store, it is your sworn duty to buy it. Next album!

Coat of Arms (2010) ***b

After soundly conquering the 2000s with their might, the 2010s were in Sabaton’s crosshairs, and Coat of Arms would be their first venture. Released on the 21st of October, 2010, the record saw a return to the non-concept field, as it was composed of some of the best WW2 based songs in their library. In hindsight, that could be considered a theme/concept to some. Regardless, Coat of Arms was a pretty big seller back in Sweden, reaching no. 2 on the Swedish Albums Chart, making it one of the highest charting albums in the band’s career.

Best Track? Bit of a tie between the hopeful Uprising, and the dark & rather morbid The Final Solution. The former tells the tale of the Warsaw Uprising, while the later speaks of one of the Jewish people’s most harrowing times. Uprising is a grim track that leads into something uplifting & incredible, while the band pays a heavy amount of respect to the Jews that lost their lives to the concentration camps during WW2. Despite being Power Metal, the song has none of the nonsense or silliness the band sometimes uses in other material. I commend Sabaton for creating this track, and it’s one of my favorites despite it’s subject matter.

Uprising

The Final Solution

Worst Track? To be perfectly honest, Coat of Arms is yet another perfect record from this band. The only fault is that it backtracks from the concept album format from 2 years prior, although this is really more of a nitpick than anything else. Luckily, this release is just a hiccup in that regard, especially when you consider what the next 3 albums will be.

Coat of Arms. The cover of the record should be the band’s flag if they ever decide to become a country. A great introduction to the 2010s, and one that any & every metalhead should pick up. Next album!

Carolus Rex (2012) ***b

Swedish Version

Alternate/U.S. Version

With the first part of their career behind them, and a foot in the door of the 2010s, it was time to bring their military-flavored brand of Power Metal to more parts of the world, and the first part of this campaign was Carolus Rex. Released on May the 25th, 2012, Carolus Rex was something of a departure from their prior records: instead of multiple battles, Sabaton created this record as an ode to their home country, not to mention the history of their home country’s most powerful leader. Carolus Rex is the band’s most serious output by far, but it in now way diminishes how awesome the music is.

It should be noted that Carolus Rex was a pretty big hit over in Sweden. On September the 18th of that year, the album was certified gold, selling over 30,000 records (You need 20,000 sold to be certified gold in Sweden) On June the 18th of the next year, Carolus Rex was certified Platinum, selling over 40,000 records. Curiously, the album was certified gold in Poland in March of 2013 (Excess of 10,000 copies).

Best Track? Tough call to make. The whole entire album is awesome, and it’s story is equally incredible. It’s so hard to pick one, that I’m just going to go with my favorite track....and it doesn’t even have anything to do with the rest of the record, and it’s name is In The Army Now. Originally sung by Status Quo back in the 80s, Sabaton’s cover of it is far more militaristic that the original piece, although the original managed to have the emotional & militaristic aspect down. Here, Sabaton managed to not only capture that emotion, but give it the Power Metal spin that it rightly deserves.

In The Army Now

Worst Track? Carolus Rex’s only real fault lies with it’s more serious nature. Sabaton still bring their A game, and the music is still fun, but the jolly/happy vibe that was on previous records seems to be reduced. I can’t completely complain, as the band made this record as a love letter to their country, not to mention one of it’s strongest leaders in their history. Regardless, Carolus Rex is once again a great release from a great band, and it seemed like their were poised to continue their 2010 conquest...but trouble was on the horizon. A month prior to Carolus Rex’s release, 3 out of the 5 original band members left the group, and formed a band of their own (Civil War), leaving Joakin & original bassist Pär Sundström the sole members left. It seemed like the group was in trouble, and was desperately in need......of heroes.

Heroes (2014) ***b

Okay, that was a bad pun, and I admit I exaggerated at the end. For a moment, it seemed like Sabaton was actually in trouble! Luckily, backup guitarists Chris Rörland and Thobbe Englund, along with backup drummer Hannes van Dahl, proudly answered the call of metallic war, and their first operation together was Heroes. Released on May 16, 2014, this album was rather different from prior record: instead of focusing on large scale battles, this record opted to tell the story of remarkable soldiers & warriors. It was something of a departure from their normal material (With maybe the exception of Carolus Rex), but it was a very welcome one at the same time. Heroes marks the album in which I really got attracted to Sabaton, but my love for the band would be cemented not long after this record. Regadless, the individuals that Heroes sings about are impressive, and the band give musical scores that more than adequately match up with these stories.

Best Track? Going to go for a different approach this time around, as I’ll be talking about the song that is the most awesome, most serious, and the most sappy. I’ll be starting off with the awesome track, and that’s definitely No Bullets Fly. The instrumentation comes across almost like something aerial, and that makes sense given what it’s about: on December the 20th, 1943, German pilot Franz Stigler came across a B-17 Flying Fortress, piloted by Charlie Brown. Franz was about to shoot it down, when he realized that the B-17 was damaged from previous gunfire. Realizing it would be cowardly to shoot down an already-wounded foe, Stigler guided the B-17 back to allied territory to get repaired. To make things more remarkable, Brown tracked down Stigler 40 years later, and formed a powerful friendship that would last until 2008, when Stigler would sadly pass away.

No Bullets Fly

Next up is the most serious track, and there were a few choices this time around. However, the one that immediately flew to my mind for this would be the dramatic tale of Witold Pilecki, or as he was better known, Inmate 4859. After he & the Polish resistance made a plan to infiltrate Auschwitz, and take it out from the inside. He voluntarily entered the concentration camp, and when no plan to destroy the camp worked, he instead managed to escape the complex, and attempted to tell the world of the horrors he saw. While he managed to get a report out, he was ultimately executed by his country, as he was accused of treason from running away. While he met a tragic end, his act was an example of pure bravery that we should all look at.

Inmate 4859

Finally, we’ve got the sappy song of Heroes, and dear god does The Ballad Of Bull fit the bill! The story is not cheesy by any means: the track covers the story of Leslie “Bull” Allen, a stretcher-bearer for the Australian army. On 30 July 1943 at Mount Tambu in Papau New Guinea, he accomplished the remarkable feat of rescuing 12 American soldiers. He went up the mount, and grabbed said solder 1....at....a....time. Due to this moment of bravery, he was award the Silver Star. What makes this song so cheesy is the fact that they ham it up with piano music & orchestral drums, and that combination makes me teary eyed every time.

The Ballad Of Bull

Worst Track? Absolutely nothing! There’s not a single bad track on Heroes, and Sabaton should be called as such. Their devotion to history, not to mention Power Metal, are to be commended for such an incredible record. At the quality would only get better from here.

The Last Stand (2016) ***b

Heroes was a big hit back in 2014, but there was probably a part in some fans’s mind that was thinking “I wonder if they can go bigger?” Well, look no further than The Last Stand! Released on the 19th of August last year, the release was a concept album like some before. In the case of this release, the band opted to sing about some of the most iconic defensive last stands throughout history. For me, The Last Stand finally & fully cemented my love for this band. No other group, apart from maybe Devin Townsend, that has gotten to laugh and smile so much. Not to mention that anytime I listen to even one song from this group, and mysteriously I feel so much better emotionally.

Best Track? I mentioned this a week ago, but my favorites of the album were Sparta & Rorke’s Drift. The former is one of my favorite because despite being a badass track, it’s equally cheesy. The first time I listened to Sparta, I thought I had accidentally turned my brain off. Turns out my brain was turned off, but the song was making me laugh so much, I enjoyed it thoroughly. Rorke’s Drift is my other favorite because the song has the right pacing, mood & atmosphere. It never lets up at any point, and really feels like you’re being sieged by an angry tribe. Great songs all around. 

Sparta

Rorke’s Drift

Worst Track? I alluded to this in my review for this album last week, but the only flaw to The Last Stand, or for that matter Sabaton’s output past 2010, is how rigidly organized their records are. Before 2010, the albums from the band had a looser structure & more chaotic attitude to them. They felt more war-like, but after 2010, Sabaton became more rigid & structured. Heck, even Coat of Arms still had some form of freedom in comparison to what came afterwards.

The Last Stand. Equally as impressive as Heroes, while simultaneously adding new material to a already great library, and was the album that fully cemented my love for this band. I can’t say anything else, other than you need this record!

The Great War (2019) ***c

The Last Stand, while a fantastic album, left more than a couple fans dissatisfied. For many it was too experimental, or came across as too clean sounding. Fortunately, Sabaton heard the cries of these people, and thus released The Great War! Put out on the 19th of July, 2019, this release is dedicated to the sordid history of World War 1. While the band has always done individual tracks based on events from that time, they never did a full-blown concept album on it. After taking a year off to recharge & plan for their next record, the 100-year anniversary of the end of WW1 was the inspiration needed. It's fantastic that the band went & sung about this god awful war, and aren't necessarily ashamed to dig up some bloody history during the entire run time of this album.

Best Track? Bit of a tie between 2 of the most high energy songs on the record. Seven Pillars of Wisdom, and The Red Baron. The former track has a similar feel to White Death off of Coat of Arms, and sings the praises of the incredible Lawrence of Arabia & his fight against the Ottoman Empire alongside his Bedouin allies. The Red Baron is about the ace pilot of the same name, and is a catchy & peppy number thanks to the usage of organ-like keyboarding throughout it's running time. Both are perhaps the least bleak tracks on The Great War, and thus are the ones I find myself listening to the most.

Seven Pillars of Wisdom

The Red Baron

However, my favorite track as far as history is concerned, would have to go to The Attack of the Dead Men! Quite possibly the creepiest & most alien song that Sabaton has ever created, this tells the story of how even a horrific gas attack could not put down the Russian army, and how the terrifying sight of seeing soldiers rise from the ground to fight back despite being wounded & impaired would strike fear into the heart of the Germans. Accompanied by some eerie electronic-like effects, this is one song you don't want to listen to before you fall asleep.

The Attack of the Dead Men

Worst Track? While there's absolutely nothing bad on The Great War, and the overall quality is excellent as always, Sabaton may have very well crafted the single darkest album in their career! Despite having a serious tone to it, at least Carolus Rex still had songs that could be considered "Fun" in some way. With this album? The band's usage of World War 1 somehow brought some of that period's darkness onto the CD, and thus I find myself just a little uncomfortable listening to it, even though The Great War is a lot of fun.

My only other gripe I have, and it's kind of insignificant in hindsight, is that the songs aren't in order as far as timeline is concerned. It would have been interesting to hear the songs play out in order of when they occurred (Like Carolus Rex), and thus be a more cohesive whole. The reason why this complaint is insignificant is that the band came out & said they couldn't. Basically, their reasoning was that due to certain people being in the entire war, putting things in order wouldn't completely work. That's sensible enough for me.

The Great War. The bleakest album that Sabaton has ever created, it simultaneously is incredibly well crafted. Those who didn't like The Last Stand (Though I'm not sure why these people exist) with appreciate this meaty 2019 release, and probably want to feast on it a few times. Most definitely recommended!

So that was a look at the discography of Sabaton. Peerless lovers of military history & Power Metal, their nearly 20-year career has brought in legions of fans who are thoroughly devoted to the voice of Joakim, not to mention the instrumentation of everybody else in the band. I eagerly look forward to what else they have ready for their arsenal. And Sabaton, if you happen to come across this, let me say thank you. In recent years it’s gotten harder to laugh & smile. With all that’s been happening in the world, it’s nice to know that you’ll be there to give your fans hope. I had the honor to see you at Clifton Park back in April of this year, and I was almost moved to tears by your music. Through that act, you have a lifelong fan with me. Once again, thank you.

With this overview completed, Power Metal Pandemonium is just about over with, and as such it’s time for the customary list of albums to listen to. See you next week!



***a
Taken from Wikipedia: “According to Chris Dahlberg, the Latin name is intended to mean 'Destroy Tyranny'. "Attero Dominatus," however, means "Wasteful Domination"”

***b
Fun note: Peter Tägtgren (Of Hypocrisy & PAIN fame) produced each of these albums at Abyss Studios.

***c
Updated on July 19, 2019, 11:44 P.M. (Eastern Standard Time)