Sabaton

A heavy metal band from Sweden, Sabaton has certainly make their mark on the metal scene. They are most noted for songs about heroism and war, which sets them apart from most of their contemporaries.

Sabaton was formed in the waning days of December 1999 in the town of Falun, Sweden. From their initial formation, the band recorded a few songs at a studio known as The Abyss, run by musician Peter Tagtgren in the town of Ludvika, Sweden. The band was quickly signed by Underground Sympathy, an Italian label.

Known as Fist for Fight, the released demo tapes were meant as a promotion to their forthcoming album Metalizer. However, the record label never released the album, so after two years it was abandoned. The group then created a second album, Primo Victoria. The inspiration of creating most of the song from war and acts of heroism came from band members Joakim Broden and Par Sundstrom watching the film, “Saving Private Ryan”.

The band switched labels to Black Lodge and continued to tour and produce albums in the early 2000s. Their touring and songwriting would culminate in the 2006 album, Attero Dominatus. An album that garnered some attention, but the band would only wait a year before their next album Metalizer would be released.

Metalizer was a combination of unreleased material, tracks from their first CD, and new material and it seemed that Sabaton had finally found their mark.

With The Art of War, Sabaton’s fourth album released in 2008, the band was hitting full stride. The album was loaded with themes of war and conflict. But it was their next album, Coat of Arms, that would not only broaden the war theme, but also include a multimedia approach to their music. This would expand their audience as more people discovered their unique flavor of metal.

By 2012, Sabaton had undergone a considerable change in their line-up. That would be further enhanced by Broden and Sundstrom being the only two original members left by the end of the year. The strong themes of war and heroism have permeated the band’s songs to the point where they have released material for war-themed strategy games.

The Last Stand was the eight album from Sabaton, released in 2016. The year before, the band created a third external music pack for Europa Universalis IV, a strategy game by Paradox Interactive. The 72^nd Anniversary of D-Day say the release of a music pack for Hearts of Iron IV, another game by Paradox.

The past few years have been a rollercoaster ride for Sabaton. From releasing new materials to getting involved in a serious car accident which caused the cancellation of a show in Poland.

Sabaton is still going strong, having started a YouTube channel called Sabaton History. Plus, the release of The Great War in 2019. The band still performs at various shows and festivals. Plus, they are still writing and releasing new material. While Sabaton may have passed its peak in popularity, it can be argued that they still are quite relevant with their involvement in multimedia pursuits.