It’s time for the Shred-Box (2/4/09)
Welcome fellow metal maniacs. And welcome to another installment of the Shred-Box. Just who do I have in mind to talk about this week? You’ll just have to read more to find out.
Sabaton, swedish metal at it’s finest. Combining pulse pounding drums, thundering bass, and amazing guitar riffs, Sabaton always leaves the listener wanting to hear more. But what is a metal band without thundering vocals? That’s where Joakim Broden comes in. He has that metal growl you come to expect from the swedish metal scene. Oh and did you know that they have a keyboardist? That’s right, they do. In this weeks Edition of Shred Box, I will give you all the info you need about Sabaton and discuss three of their main albums. I have also included a small clip from their albums below so if you haven’t heard Sabaton before, you can give them a shot right now.
Created in 1999, Sabaton is composed of Joakim Brodén – vocals (Keyboards on Metalizer and Primo Victoria) ,Rikard Sundén – guitars and backing vocals, Oskar Montelius – guitars and backing vocals, Pär Sundström – bass, Daniel Mullback – drums, and Daniel Mÿhr – keyboards and backing vocals. Unlike most metal bands what formed almost 10 years ago, Sabaton has all its original members. And because everyone has been there from the start, they have a unity that lets them create amazing music without the BS of certain members lagging behind or causing problems. These guys know each others strengths and weaknesses which make them a powerful force in the metal world.
Let’s start off with their ”second” album Metalizer. I quote second because their first CD “Fist for Fight” was just a promo CD. This is an interesting one though because as it may be their second album, recorded in 2002 under an independent Italian label, it wasn’t actually released until 2007. And in fact the release of Metalizer is a 2 cd release. With the other cd being their promo Fist for Fight. It’s a very hard and pounding album where the vocals are much deeper sounding and forceful. From the Lord of The Rings inspired “Shadows” to the bass drum assault of “Hail to the King”, you just cant find another album with as much random metal as this one. But the one song that stands out to me is “Metalizer”. Something about it keeps me coming back for more each time I listen to it. As amazing as this album is, it can be a shock to listen to it after you have listened to Art of War or Attero Dominatus. Because in those albums you can easily see how much the band has grown since this album was recorded. Also you will notice that this album relies more heavily on the keyboard/synth. Their later albums incorporate the keyboard/synth, but at a lesser degree that actually enhances its unique sound.
Their next release Primo Victoria was done under their own power without the backing of a major record label. Soon after the album hit store shelves, labels started to take notice and out of no where they had a ton of record labels knocking down their door. This was mainly due to the fact that they showed the ability to make a quality album on their own which made the labels realize these guys meant business and were here to stay. Unfortunately, Primo Victoria isn’t their best album. It isn’t horrible, but compared to their other releases I would have to say that this is their least amazing album. Now when talking about a band like Sabaton, it pains me to say one of their albums wasn’t that great. But I have to be honest, I really didn’t like it.
Their first album under record label Black Lodge was Attero Dominatus. This is where my fandom to Sabaton really kicked into high gear. They continue their WWII inspired metal with a very diverse album. The opening song to which the album was named for, is am amazing masterpiece of metal. Be warned when driving and listening to this song, you might not be able to stay within the speed limit. Or on the road for that matter. Its pounding bass and guitars will keep you in the moment, and do not let up until the song is over. The second song Nuclear attack is easily recognizable as being inspired by the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. It is very well done and has that fist pounding beat you cant deny. “Rise of Evil” deals with the rise of the Third Reich and Adolf Hitler. But the most stirring song “In the Name of God” takes on the situation in the middle-east by tackling suicide bombers and everyone who kills innocent people in the name of their god. Now I know what you may be saying. Why would I want to hear a song about that? Well do yourself a favor, listen to the song. And I mean actually listen to it. I am sure you will agree that it is very well done and the tempo of the song is nuts. This album was also the highest selling album in Sweden for 2006.
Their latest release, Art of War, is heavily influenced by Sun Tzu. And by listening to the opening track, you can see why. There are may passages from the book before and after some of the songs on the album. This adds a bit ambiance to the entire album, and sets the mood. But even without these passages, you could easily hear and feel the influence it had on their recording. This is definitely the height of their song writing and musical ability. Sabaton has learned over the years what works and what doesn’t have the appeal they hoped for. From the first song, you are assaulted with catchy riffs and lyrics that leave you with no choice but to sing along and feel the emotion being conveyed. The opening song “Ghost Division” keeps you hooked and unable to not feel the need to bang your head throughout its almost four minutes. The self titled track “Art of War” emphasises the bands influance by Sun Tzu and his writings. But if i had to pick one song that really sticks out and brings this album to a head, it has to be Hills of Gallipoli. Which if you look below, I have had added their video for the song. This album has thrown Sabaton even more into the fray when talking about amazing metal bands. After the release, Sabaton quickly booked every weekend for 6 months for a massive 60 show tour. Which is the largest tour a sweedish metal band has done in years.
Below is the music video for Sabaton’s single from Art of War, Hills of Gallipoli.
The above video just drives my points home. Sabaton does metal how it should be done. Fast, loud, and heavy. When listening to their albums, you are able to hear the immense time and effort that has been put into each one over the years. But the most dominant thing is being able to hear how much they have grown both lyrically, and musically. Their sound has been cleaned up and the vocals are now more focused then ever. So if you get a chance, check out their official website at www.sabaton.net. They have great merch, tour dates, and lotsa multimedia. Be sure to support these guys and tell your friends that if they want metal, they only need to go as far as Sabaton.
As always, please feel free to leave some comments or send me an email with your thoughts, questions, or names of other metal bands you feel I need to get into.
Until next time fellow Shredders. Turn the amp up to 11 and LET THERE BE METAL!!!
All images and music copyrighted by Sabaton and their record label.
