Bit of a change of pace, today I'm having a look through my latest 'band I got into and immediate bought their entire back catalogue'. That band is Sabaton, the Swedish 'power metal' band that sings about war. I'll get into it as we go along, but 'power metal' isn't quite the right label for a lot of Sabaton's early work (they seemed to transition from 'standard early 00s metal' , to power-ish metal, to power metal, to POWER with a hint of rock/metal), but if by power metal you mean epic then it's right on the money. And yes, they sing about war - most of their lyrics are about specific wars/battles/soldiers/armies etc. It's not quite a history lesson but I have learned a thing or two from their lyrics. So let's just get into it.
Sabaton are currently:
Joakim Brodén - Vocals (& guitars and keys in the studio)
Pär Sundström - Bass
Chris Rörland - Guitars (2012 - present)
Tommy Johansson - Guitars (2016 - present)
Hannes Van Dahl - Drums (2014 - present)
Metalizer (2002/2007); Re-Armed (2010)
Small explanation first: Metalizer was the first album recorded by Sabaton intended for general release (a prior demo Fist for Fight, released in 2000ish, is now a rarity). For record-label related reasons (I think), it got shelved in 2002 and they went on to record Primo Victoria instead, which became their 'debut' album. Metalizer was eventually released in 2007, making it their 'third' album. Also, their first 4 albums were re-released in 2010 as 'Re-Armed' versions with bonus tracks. Hence the triple release date for this one.
I'm not going to sugar-coat it. Metalizer is a bit rubbish. But you knew that, didn't you, just by reading the title and looking at the artwork. Metalizer contains nothing that Sabaton would become known for. There's no grand scale, no epic choruses, no catchy melodies, and no war lyrics. This is the sound of an angry young band writing songs in their bedrooms (7734 is called that because it's what you typed in a calculator when you were 12 in Maths to get HELL upside down). Sure, some of the riffs aren't that bad (Hellrider, Endless Nights), but it's bogged down with drudgy, plodding melodies. Brodén is a baritone, and leans in to that deep voice to great effect later on. But here he's growling. A lot of early 00s metal got influenced by the grunge wave of the 90s, and it's on display here.
Lyrically, it's all the devil, hell, and metal. We've got darkness and thunder. And - this genuinely made me laugh - Shadows is the obligatory power metal song about Lord of the Rings. Tolkien has been mined for decades for lyrical inspiration from all manner of artists. And here it feels like they literally went "well we've got to do one of these at some point, so why not get it out of the way early?". It's risible.
The Re-Armed version contains all manner of extra goodies for the rabid fan. A Judas Priest cover (Jawbreaker), an early version of Panzer Battalion (absolute tune from the next album), and an entire separate album which is effectively the Fist for Fight demo I mentioned earlier (containing earlier versions of most Metalizer tracks).
If you're considering trying Sabaton, skip this. Don't come back to it either.
Primo Victoria (2005); Re-Armed (2010)
Much better. The opening (title) track, is what made me look Sabaton up in the first place. An emotional, gritty, epic song about the D-Day landings. "Aiming for Heaven, though serving in Hell", is a lyric I'm not embarrassed to quote. But the star of the album surely had to be Panzer Battalion; it ups the tempo considerably with a hyper-energetic riff and an epic (the word will be used a lot) tale about the Iraq War. It also seemed to spawn the early nickname for Sabaton fans - the Panzer Battalion. It's not quite a ballad, but we also get the emotionally significant Purple Heart (an award given by the USA to soldiers wounded in battle), which shows that Sabaton aren't all guns and glory.
Also worth mentioning is Metal Machine. A few Sabaton albums have these songs, which are meant to be tributes to the band's favourite metal bands. The lyrics incorporate names of famous bands, and famous songs, and sometimes the music even borrows riffs. The influences are clearly weighted towards 80s metal, and even more towards hair metal (I can hear Andrew O'Neill screaming). It's good fun.
Before going on it's probably worth pausing to say something about the perspectives taken in some of Sabaton's songs. Many of them take the point of view of a particular party or army in a conflict, and put forward that party's view of the conflict. This can make some of the songs a little uncomfortable. Into The Fire, for example, is about napalm use in Vietnam from the American perspective. On first look, that might seem a bit problematic, but usually Sabaton manage to stay on the right side of the line - e.g. here by deliberately also mentioning the indiscriminate nature of napalm in burning 'friend and foe' alike. Reign of Terror, about Sadam Hussein, also kind of takes his PoV, but it's clear he's not a goodie.
Musically, we're moving away from grungy metal, more towards a mainstream mid-00s metal sound. There are some hints at the increasing 'power' in the music though, most obvious in the left-field synth solo in Stalingrad. But in general, the rhythm is pretty chuggy throughout the album. Brodén has also stopped growling so much (though not entirely, see Counterstrike) and has started singing, which is good.
The Re-Armed version has a few bonus tracks. Shotgun feels like a Metalizer song (so not great). Then there's some live versions, including a live Rise of Evil - which annoyed me as I got this album before Attero Dominatus which is where that song is from. Still good to have though. A Twisted Sister (The Beast) cover, I could live without. And then two odd, short instrumentals, The March to War and Dead Soldier's Waltz - sure, why not?
A great first album, and a good introduction. This and the next album stay quite safely on the metal side of power metal, so worth checking out if you're scared of upbeat, swinging choruses with lots of choral effects and synths.
Attero Dominatus (2006); Re-Armed (2010)
Although Primo Victoria's artwork is ok, the Sabaton artwork for their first 4-5 albums is pretty awful. This looks like a Saw trap.
Attero Dominatus (approximately 'Attack Dominate') follows Primo Victoria's formula quite closely. A bunch of guitar-driven songs, all about various wars or war-adjacent topics. The title track, about the Battle of Berlin, is pretty good, but the Latin feels forced to give the epic-ness a slightly artificial feel. Nuclear Attack and We Burn are the songs you have to listen to with a slightly raised eyebrow - about the nuclear bombings of Japan and the Bosnian genocide respectively. Personally, I still think they land on the right side of the line once you read the lyrics. We also get some ballad-ey songs in Angels Calling (about WWI) and Light in the Black (UN Peacekeepers), both are fine.
Rise of Evil is one of the standout tracks, coming in at a lengthy 8 minutes. As it's a slower song, the album notes joke that they enjoy playing this live in order to have a rest. It concerns Hitler's rise to power, and is pleasingly detailed in terms of specific references. Generally, it sounds like it takes a neutral view throughout the verses, but then the chorus and song title make clear that 'Hitler is bad'. Just in case any Neo-Nazis felt like adopting it as a theme song...
In The Name Of God is possibly my favourite song here. Though it's not specific, the song concerns fundamentalist religious terrorism, and is very strong in its condemnation (for the underlying reasons, but also critical of the secretive tactics and targeting of civilians). And the best part: the chorus melody is ripped straight out of early/mid-00s dance music. This is probably the first time that the hints of Euro-Power metal are most obvious, as if you took out the guitars and drums, leaving the melody and keys, it's almost Steps/S-Club 7-ey. And I know that sounds ridiculous, but it works. Somehow.
I have to at least mention Back in Control. Great riff. It's about the Falklands War, but I want to draw attention to the line "Orders from the Iron Maiden: Get the Islands back!". Was it dodgy translation? Because I only know Mrs Thatcher as the Iron Lady... Odd.
And then we end with Metal Crüe - a second 'metal tribute' song. It's about as ok as the previous one.
Re-Armed bonuses include two covers which I happily skip every time they come on. A live Metal Machine/Metal Crüe mashup, which is good fun. A prior version of Purple Heart with different lyrics is interesting enough. And a demo version of Primo Victoria is welcome, though I'm glad they turned the synths down for the proper version.
Overall, a good follow-up. And the last time that Sabaton can probably legitimately claim to be 'metal'. The next two albums are transitions on the way to full POWER.
Art of War (2008); Re-Armed (2010)
The first of six(!) concept albums. The Art of War takes its inspiration from the famous treatise on war by Sun Tzu. Each song is meant to represent a different chapter of the book, detailing a battle or situation where the tactics explained in that chapter were used. The album notes are quite interesting in that respect. Actually, it's worth mentioning that Sabaton's album notes are generally very good - most songs have a short explanation of what they're about (though this is inconsistent - why this isn't the case for Coat of Arms and Heroes I'll never know...). Also worth mentioning is that almost every song has a short spoken-word intro, which consists of a quote from the relevant book chapter. Nice touch.
Opener, Ghost Division, is a great statement of intent for the album, and signals a slight shift in sound and song writing. The keys have been turned up and, though a "don't bore us, get to the chorus" philosophy can be seen in some of Sabaton's earlier work, it's now become a staple song writing approach. The energy and tempo is up as well, giving a real feel of forward momentum that pushes you through the album.
I don't really want to spend very much time on this album, as for some reason it's my least favourite (post-Metalizer) album. I think it's partly because after Ghost Division, the title track's lowered tempo slows the album down, and 40:1's attempt to turn the dial up again get's killed immediately by Unbreakable. I get the want to scatter the faster and slower songs throughout the album, but as it stands the album never gains momentum. But also many of the songs blend together. Only a few stand out as having any individual character.
Cliffs of Gallipoli stands out as a thoughtful rumination on the doomed Gallipoli campaign. And The Price of a Mile is fantastic as Sabaton's first truly anti-war song. It asks the simple question, related to the trench warfare of WWI: what's the price of a mile? The lyrics are genuinely poignant, and make you think about the senseless slaughter of the Great War. Easily the best song on the album, despite it being 'anti-war' and it being slow.
Re-Armed has an amusing viking-ey song called Swedish Pagans, which is silly fun and somehow ended up becoming a fan favourite. Glorious Land feels like an album outtake, and could have fit on the album proper easily enough. And a live version of the Swedish National Anthem? Sabaton do a lot of 'sure, why not?' don't they.
I feel sorry for The Art of War. Because I do think it's a decent album, with decent songs. But it's also obviously a transition album, as Sabaton moved to their later sound. Making it neither metal enough, not power metal enough.
Coat of Arms (2010)
Turing the 'power' in power metal up to about 8, Coat of Arms is close to completing the transition, but not quite there yet. The title track is an epic opener, and marks the first (noticeable?) use of a backing choir for the choruses. This pumps up the epic nature of the choruses even higher (and also has the knock-on effect of upping the cheese level too...). Still, it gets you pumped.
Unlike The Art of War, Sabaton seem to have worked out track orders better. Perhaps because they were unencumbered by any concept forcing the ordering. Midway keeps the energy up, concerning the naval battle of Midway, but it contains some clanging lyrics: "this is the crucial moment", "tactics are crucial". As opposed to all those other battles where tactics aren't crucial? Sabaton you just released an entire album based around a book of war tactics. Come on.
Uprising is better, being about the Warsaw uprising. But you still get the clunky "War...Saw... City at War!". See what you did there.
Screaming Eagles and Aces in Exile can be paired as 'songs about airborne battles'. The former is the angrier, with liberal double-bass pedal. The latter is a bit jollier. Saboteurs then brings back the pop-influenced chorus melodies. White Death is also pushing the 'power' in power metal to the fore, though the chorus is surprisingly understated. The album closes with Sabaton's third 'metal tribute', Metal Ripper. I actually think this one has some of the cleverest lyrics of the three, but it is what it is.
Disappointed the Nazis haven't been mentioned yet? No fear, The Final Solution is here. A peculiar song. Unlike the Rise of Evil, which is broody and angry, The Final Solution has an almost upbeat feel, especially with the high pitched synth riffs. Not quite what you expect. The lyrics are appropriately dour and condemnatory, but it just doesn't quite match maybe? Better is Wehrmacht, which considers the effect of the Nazi war machine on an individual German solider - it's an interesting perspective which asks some searching questions about their complicity and culpability.
Carolus Rex (2012)
Before Carolus Rex (concept album #2 if you're counting)|, I think I can describe myself as liking Sabaton. From here onwards, I am a fan. I think this change can be sourced to a few shifts. Carolus Rex is where Sabaton shook off the metal shackles and just started asking "how can we make this song as epic as possible?", not concerned as to whether this might dilute the genre that they reside in. Secondly, the detail and care that goes into the songs seems to increase. Not that Sabaton hadn't done historical research for their lyrics before, but the accusation that their lyrics were not specific enough (and so songs which were meant to be about battle X could be interpreted as being about any battle) was frequently on the mark. After getting bogged down with exhausting WWI and WWII (only a handful of songs stray beyond these two wars), they looked inwards and decided to make an album about the rise and fall of the Swedish empire. They are Swedish, after all. This entire album feels like it's saying "we really care about our history, and we want you to as well". I think it succeeds.
The backing choirs are turned up, the detail in the lyrics is more, and the choruses are the most sing-along-ey that they've every been. The second main track, Gott Mit Uns (God With us) swings into your ears with a sea-shanty riff that reminds you of Alestorm - and you get the distinct feeling that Sabaton are willing to expand their sound to whatever is necessary to get the right mood for a song. This is followed by Sabaton's second anti-war song A Lifetime of War. The melody and lyrics to this song are genuinely touching, and Bróden gives the words an emotional depth that we've only seen once before on The Price of a Mile. Some dodgy half-rhymes aside, the chorus really paints the picture: "[War] spreads like disease / there's no sign of peace / religion and grief / caused millions to bleed".
The title track also stands out, with its liberal synth-choral effects used to further the impression of a divine coronation (of King Charles XII of Sweden), and a catchy-as-hell chorus. The melody and riff are later reprised in the more sombre-sounding Long Live the King, which concerns the death of King Charles. I like this a lot, but as there are only two songs in between, the reprise feels more repetitive than it should. The history drives the track order, and works well for the most part. But musically, these songs should have been further apart.
The in-between songs, Killing Ground and Poltava, I first considered to be the only 'filler' on the album. But after repeated listens I've revised that opinion. Poltava, in particular, has a character of its own, with its description of the battle that led to the decline of the empire.
I highly recommend this album as the 'starting point' for anyone considering Sabaton. You can then work your way forwards or backwards in time, depending on whether you want more straightforward metal, or more bombastic chorus arrangements.
Also worth noting is that the entire album was recorded in Swedish as well as English. For some reason, when I bought the English CD on Amazon, I got a free download of the Swedish version. Other than the lyrics, it's the same, but nice to have.
Heroes (2014)
Heroes marks a significant change in direction for Sabaton's album artwork, away from the weird 'central symbol surrounded by stuff', and towards paintings representing the album content. I am a fan of the shift, however the more you look at the Heroes artwork, the more you realise it needed a little longer in the oven (how long is that guy's neck?...).
Concept album #3 is a collection of songs which detail the actions of particular individuals or squadrons (/battalions/companies/ etc.) in war, who did something particularly notable or heroic. It's a neat idea for a Sabaton album, and my only annoyance is that the album notes don't have any explanations for the songs at all, requiring trips to Wikipedia instead. Like with Carolus Rex, focussing on individual actions allows Sabaton to delve deeper with the lyrics, and also focuses their song writing - you genuinely feel that they want each hero's song to be unique, and to be worthy of them. It's also an album the benefits from repeat listens - the first few times the latter half of the album can blend together, and it's only by paying attention that you can appreciate each song individually.
Opener Night Witches is notable for the being the first Sabaton song (and one of only two, as of 2022) to be specifically about women in war (I think 'women in war' would be a great concept for a future album...). The Night Witches were a Russian regiment of pilots in WWII, who would turn off their engines and glide over bombing targets - the 'whooshing' sound they made was likened to flying broomsticks, hence the nickname. Musically, it's an all-out assault of staccato rhythms - every syllable of the chorus is accompanied by a chord and hard drum beat. It certainly grabs your attention. No Bullets Fly is a great follow up, about a German pilot who chose not to shoot down a damaged American plane, instead escorting him to safety. Musically, it's not particularly standout, but it's significant still for being the first Sabaton song to highlight that heroics in war can involve saving, rather than killing, people.
Inmate 4859 returns us to the Holocaust, describing the actions of Witold Pilecki who deliberately got himself sent to Auschwitz in order to compile a report for the Allies. He was later executed by the post-war Communist regime in Poland for espionage, and as such his efforts were largely forgotten until decades later. The song focuses largely on his time in Auschwitz, and the fact that his name was forgotten for a time, but will now be remembered forever. It's moody and depressing, but rightfully so. It's followed by the contrastingly upbeat To Hell And Back, which concerns Audie Murphy (an American WWII Vet) and his battle with PTSD; and is notable for using some of Murphy's poetry in the lyrics. The American influence is laid on thick with a whistling intro (perhaps a tin whistle? Or pan pipes?) which recalls the ocarina tune from The Good The Bad And The Ugly, and then stays in the background throughout. It's good fun.
Resist and Bite, and Soldier of 3 Armies are perhaps the least interesting, though the former has a fun metal riff. Far From Fame is worth mentioning for its unique chorus amongst the songs on this album; it being more growly and broody, reminding one of early Sabaton rather than their new epic/bombastic sound. It fits the lyrics, which are filled with spite for the post-war Communist Czech regime which imprisoned Karel Janoušek (founder of the Czech Air Force). Sensing an anti-Commie theme here.
The Ballad of Bull is also worth a shout out for being the least metal song in Sabaton's history. A piano-driven ballad, that reminds one of when KISS did Beth. Lyrically, it's about Leslie 'Bull' Allen who saved 12 wounded American soldiers in WWII. You see what they're going for here, but I don't think it works at all. And some of the lyrics are clangers, specifically the chorus which starts "Sometimes war is killing / sometimes it's saving lives". Sabaton aren't a subtle band, but No Bullets Fly makes the same point without shoving your face in it. They tried.
Heroes is also where Sabaton start to get a bit self-plagiarise-ey. Some of the riffs and melodies sound chopped and changed from previous songs. This might bother some people, but shouldn't bother anyone who likes AC/DC, KISS, Motörhead etc...
But overall it's a good album. Probably the bottom of the list of the 'heroic artwork' albums, but still worth checking out.
The Last Stand (2016)
Cards on the table, this is my favourite Sabaton album. I agree that Carolus Rex is probably their best, but for sheer fun value, The Last Stand is a riot from start to finish. Concept album #4 concerns 'last stand' battles, where individuals/groups/armies took a final stand against their enemy. Not all of these armies win, but Sabaton gives their grit and determination its due. The Last Stand is also the most musically diverse Sabaton album, drawing influences (and instruments) from a variety of countries and cultures to give each song its own unique identity.
We open with one of the most famous last stands of all time, and the furthest back in time Sabaton has ever reached, with Sparta. Sure, it's clear Sabaton were perhaps more influenced here by 300 than accurate descriptions of the Battle of Thermopylae (they use the film/comic's "tonight we dine in hell" rather than the more likely original "tonight we dine in hades" - perhaps the latter was more tricky to rhyme?), but this is as epic as it gets. Digital horns punctuated by "Hooh! Hah!"s. It's so outrageously cheesy and ridiculous that the only response, I think, is to smile and get into it.
Last Dying Breath swings in with the synths turned up, almost echoing that synthy-brand of Euro-pop that's usually awful. It's hilariously upbeat given the title and subject matter, but the more serious outro/bridge rescues it from farce.
Blood of Bannockburn opens with bagpipes, and you know immediately that this is going to be a good time too. "Join the Scottish revolution / Freedom must be won by blood / Now we call for revolution / Play the pipes and cry out loud". Rhyming the same word aside (an irritating blight that's repeated in another song - see below), this is a song that makes your inner William Wallace come alive. Later on, Winged Hussars has a similarly cheesy but catchy chorus shout of "When the Winged Hussars arrived! / Coming down the mountainside!".
The Lost Battalion, about lost fighters in the Argonne in WWI, is where we start getting a bit of lyrical cliché fatigue. "It's surrender or die and the stakes are high / They live or they die there's no time for goodbye". Even in only 10 songs, you start noticing that there are only so many ways of saying, and rhyming with, 'no surrender', 'last stand', 'surrender or die', 'final charge', 'kill or be killed' etc. The catchiness of the chorus melody just about gets away with it though.
Rorke's Drift's fiddly melodic riff recalls earlier Sabaton, but the loud choir backing of the chorus shouting "Zulus attack! / Fight back to back!" means you're quickly reassured that they've not regressed (well, unless you prefer their older stuff). Hill 3234 has a similar guitar riff going on, and is perhaps the only song on the album which is generally forgettable as having less (though not none) personality than the others.
Shiroyama is a huge amount of fun, detailing the last stand of the samurai in 1877. The synth melody is clearly meant to ape J-Pop and it works, somehow.
The album closes with The Last Battle, which concerns one of the last battles of WWII, and feels a fitting way to end the album with "And it's the end of the line of the final journey / Enemies leaving the past / And it's American troops and the German army / Joining together at last". It's a real 'feel good' song, with the guitars and synths playing off of each other.
Overall, The Last Stand is probably where the power well and truly overtook the metal. The synths are much higher in the mix, and are given more prominent roles in running the melodies (with many songs relegating the guitars to background power chords for much of the time). That makes Sabaton more difficult to pin down genre-wise now. They've sort of developed their own Euro-pop-metal/rock sound. It's cheesy, and sometimes ridiculous. But it's done with such sincerity, and with such a reverence for the history they're describing, that I find it hard not to get swept along with it.
The Great War (2019)
Concept album #5 concerns World War I. All of the songs relate in some way to 'The Great War'. Some go into specific battles or events, others take a more rounded view of a particular aspect. The lyrics make for interesting reading. The music is both narrower in some respects, and wider in others. Narrower in that there are less worldly influences coming in, but wider in that there is a little more 'metal' here than in The Last Stand.
The Red Baron is similar in some ways. Unless you have the 'History Version' of the album (see below) it starts with an organ playing Bach's Little Fugue in e minor, which I guess is meant to sound like theme music from a 1950s film? Anyway, we've got a swing beat and a chorus which repeats that the Baron is constantly "flying higher". Catchy? Yes. Metal? Nope. Does it matter? I don't think so.
The Great War is a very good album, but I do think there's a slight disconnect between the music and lyrics. For the most part, the music is epic and grand and heroic. Whereas the lyrics, a few notable heroic deeds aside, are quite serious and philosophical. So a good Sabaton album, but a mixed tribute to WWI.
There is also a 'History Version' of the album which includes short spoken-word introductions to each song, describing what they are about (similar to The Art of War). These are interesting, but I think the normal version of the album is better for three reasons: you can get similar explanations just by reading the album notes; the spoken introductions require the cutting of a handful of the musical introductions (most noticeable on The Red Baron); and after a few times they feel a bit 'in the way' of just listening to the song.
Not content with one concept album about WWI, they wrote another (again, with an accompanying History Edition). As ever with Sabaton: sure, why not? The musical evolution from The Great War continues, with the band more confidently melding classic 80s metal with arena rock choruses. Here, though, there seems to be a slightly stronger focus on technical proficiency. Chris Rörland and Tommy Johansson seem to be trying to outdo each other at every turn (with them taking turns as lead/ryhtmn throughout). The solos and rhythms are more complex. Prog, it most certainly is not (though I saw one review try and argue it), but it's definitely more interesting song writing.
The album is bookended by Sarajevo and Versailles, which use the same chords and melody (listen to them back to back and it almost sounds like a single song). These are not particularly good 'songs' as such, they are more of an intro and outro to the album. The first tells the story of the shooting of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the latter describes the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Though Bróden sings on both, it is narrator Bethan Dixon Bate who in fact speaks over the music to tell the story. Bate also narrated the introductions to the History Edition of The Great War, but here her voiceover on these two tracks appear on both the standard and History Edition of the album.
With 11 tracks overall, and 2 taken up by the bookends, that leaves 9. Which almost feels a tad short, but what a 9 tracks they are! Two tracks, Stormtroopers and Hellfighters, concern particular groups of soldiers. The former has a real Extreme (the band - think of Play With Me) vibe about the guitars, and a driving force rhythm that pushes you through the song. The latter is a bit dirtier, a bit more Mötley Crüe. It's almost a call-back to their earlier sound (and, for that reason, probably my least favourite song on the album actually - though still nothing I'd skip). Soldier of Heaven also concerns groups of soldiers, specifically those who fought in the Alps and ultimately froze to death. A left-field electronica beat runs through the song, which is initially off putting but ends up working. Solider of Heaven is probably one of the more emotional points.
Dreadnought is about the type of battleship popularised by the HMS Dreadnought. It's a slower, moodier song, which is likely meant to capture the feel of a large piece of war machinery. I haven't mentioned it here, but in 2019 Sabaton released a single called Bismark about the Nazi battleship of the same name (it's a very good song). They're not the same, but Dreadnought has a very very similar vibe (helped by the sounds of the sea in the background). I'm not a huge fan of the verses as Bróden puts on a weird inflection to his voice, but the choruses are far too catchy; and who can turn their nose up at the line "And the Dreadnoughts dread nothing at all!".
Specific people next? The Unkillable Soldier was released as a single, and I initially wasn't a huge fan but it's grown on me. Adrian Carton de Wiart served in the Boer War, WWI and WWII. Focussing on WWI, he allegedly wrote "Frankly, I had enjoyed the war". Shot through the eye, lost an arm, but he kept returning. The song is a good time, and has an excellent sudden key change. However, I am a much bigger fan of Lady of the Dark. Milunka Savić was a Serbian Mulan. She cut her hair and joined the Serbian army in place of her brother, becoming one of the most decorated soldiers in history. Finally, Sabaton's second song about a woman! (I still think Women in War would make an excellent concept for a future album) It's relentlessly upbeat and catchy, and I can't help but give them a pass for the line "Break the norm, she's the girl in uniform" - riding that cheesy line very close to the edge there.
Race to the Sea concerns the battle of the same name, and has some unique, for Sabaton, cut-short bars in the chorus (still not prog) to change things up. Perhaps one of the lesser songs, but still a thumping good time and a nice slower change of pace. The Valley of Death concerns the Battle of Doiran, and is a song ripped straight from The Last Stand. Lyrically, it's all about "fighting them back" and repelling the British "again, again, again, again" - but it's not just the subject that recalls The Last Stand, the music also has echoes of Last Dying Breath and The Last Battle from that album. Despite it being from the PoV against the allies, the music gets you on side.
Finally... a Christmas song! Christmas Truce is an excellent metal Christmas song. It pulls out all the tricks (sleigh bells, choirs) to get that Christmas Song Vibe. About the famous truce that occurred in the trenches on Christmas day 1914, it's one of Sabaton's pro-peace songs the touches a really poignant note to close the album. It's genuinely emotional and a worthy climax.
I happened to get both the standard and History editions of this album. The latter is nice to have, and this time there are no peculiar losses to song introductions. I can't say I could recommend one over the other.
On the whole, I think this is a better album than The Great War. There isn't a single skippable song (if you don't count the bookends, which perhaps I should), whereas The Great War has one or two. The cheese dial is also turned down slightly - though not too much, we wouldn't want that.
One almost would like them to mash these two albums together into a super deluxe album The Great War To End All Wars, mixing up the tracks together but retaining the bookends. But perhaps we should wait and see if the double concept turns into a trilogy...
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