At the beginning of this month, I took a look at Attero Dominatus. The second album of their career, it shows that the band’s identity was beginning to solidify, and their instrumentation & vocal work was definitely a step up. Now, we reach an album that a lot of fans don’t find to be the best. It’s not an abomination onto god by any means, but it’s usually in last place for a lot of fans. Does today’s record deserve the reputation it has, and is it a record that you should listen to? Well, get nice & comfy, and take a look at my review for Metalizer to see if it’s true!
Background
Taken from the Sabaton Overview:
“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. 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.”
Basic Description
The Black Sheep.
Let’s get this out of the way: Metalizer is the album a Sabaton fan is least likely to take off their shelf and listen to. In many ways, it’s the record that’s the furthest away from the typical content that the super swedes have released, which isn’t a surprise consider that this album is essentially a switched up re-recording of what is technically their first outing, Fist For Fight. There is still a demo nature to Metalizer, but things come across as improved when compared to FFF. Ironic, since this album has a few issues, but I’ll speak of that more in a little bit. That being said, there’s something about Metalizer that charmed me back in 2018 when I first listened to it. Something about the music, as faulty as it can be, hooks into me somehow. I can see why a lot of the fanbase don’t reach for this record, but if you’re willing to polish the diamond a little, you’ll find that there’s a surprising amount of shine to it.
Best Track
I said in my Fist For Fight review (Read Here), I was a big fan of the song Metalizer, and on this record nothing’s changed. Though definitely improved in a variety of ways, this version still has a lot of the raw & primal energy that was found on FFF. The one difference that is noticeable is the keyboard, which doesn’t have the church organ vibe anymore, and instead comes across a bit more like the typical Power Metal feel. Even with this shift in tone, you still get the feeling that you need to headbang furiously when this plays!
Metalizer (Metalizer Version)
Worst Track
While I definitely do enjoy Metalizer, I’m not going to lie and say that the album is perfect, because it isn’t. Though this is essentially a modified re-recording of Fist For Fight, the instrumentation doesn’t sound or feel like a band that’s 3 records into their career. Joakim’s singing, though definitely better than on the previously mentioned EP, sounds oddly amateur. There is also the matter of the recording & production, and to say it’s rough would be understating things. On top of that, there’s no sign of the group’s typical subject matter here! 90 percent of the lyrics on this album come across as oddly stereotypical when it comes to Heavy Metal, with only a faint few mentions of any real-world history. To play devil’s advocate, I wouldn’t say it’s as rough as Anthem’s very first release (Read Here), but at the same time it’s weird that Metalizer sounds like it does. I will say this: if Sabaton was doing this intentionally, then I’d say that it’s actually genius, but my gut instinct was that the band slipped up with this release.
Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, click on the link below:
Metalizer
Overall Impression & Rating
Metalizer definitely has some noticeable dents in it’s armor. The rough recording & production value, the more demo-like way the instruments are played & Joakim’s singing, and the lack of the band’s signature subject makes it the least essential out of Sabaton’s discography. That fact still haunts the release to this day, and yet.....I enjoy it! Much like Stryper’s release Against The Law from 1990, Metalizer acts as a gateway into the band’s humble past, and I find some strange comfort in that. Even if you’re not actively in the mood to listen to Metalizer, it’s still a curiosity that you should think about from time to time.
Metalizer gets a 7.5 out of 10 for quality, but a 9 out of 10 for the enjoyment factor.
And that was my look at Sabaton’s 3rd release, Metalizer. It might have been a step backwards, and the typical subject matter the band sings about is nowhere to be found, yet I still find myself enjoying it quite a bit. However everyone, the album that comes next would be the album in my opinion.....would be the release that fully cements the band as Power Metal legends in my view. See you all at the end of the month!
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