Sabaton is a group that has applied their singular, surefire sound to all their works while still making each release entertainingly compelling and special. For over twenty years, this Swedish Power Metal quintet has affected the scene with their fierce vibrato and hard-hitting intensity. They have become well-known storytellers who bring history to life through their knowledgeable lyrics and grandiose style of playing. Their capacity to carry historic war themes through their skillful writing has allowed them to carve into the new genre of Military Metal. They released an album in 2019 called The Great War where they shared tales from World War One. They knew they couldn’t fit all the war’s remarkable events on just one album so now they are getting ready to release a full-length follow up stocked with more stories. The War to End all Wars (both Nuclear Blast) continues the band’s narrative on WW1 and does so with exceptionally exhilarating enthusiasm. 

The album opens on a grim note with a number about an assassination called ‘Saajevo’. We have a dramatic narrative providing the details about these historic events which gives a dramatic and cinematic feel. This album takes you on a journey by transporting you to the past when everything was most dire. Sabaton captures the desperate times with their earnest, anthem-like sound. They boom out their bombastic flavors with catchy and sing-along choruses that immediately grip. 

The song about specialist soldiers from Germany called ‘Stormtroopers’ amps up the band’s high energy and delivers a fiery memorable melody. ‘The Unkillable Soldier’ is another number that picks up the pace with galloping guitars and speedy notes spewing through the strings. ‘Dreadnought’, ‘Soldier of Heaven’, and ‘Race to the Sea’ all carry a prominent pounding of weighty bass work by Pär Sundström creating that classic military marching sound. You feel the drudge of war and hardship as the music beats like waves or guns against the senses making you feel like you were actually on a battleship or battlefield. The articulate and able vocals from frontman Joakim Brodén holds a warm ferocity that conveys the lyrics in a tenacious way. Many of the songs are guitar driven and showcase superior solos that provide a technical, yet impassioned presentation of prowess. 

‘Hellfighters’ and ‘Lady of the Dark’ are the heavier tracks on this record giving off a grittier sound. The intricate edge and fierceness in each movement conveys the heroic courage that the real men and women of World War I had. Then a bloody battle is discussed on ‘The Valley of Death’ which focuses a lot on synth work giving the number a retro feel. Then the gears shift on ‘Christmas Truce’ because the wintery vibes have a Trans-Siberian Orchestra feel to it. The act breaks out with their massive militant sound describing these tragedies while managing to do it with electrifying variances. 

This concept album concludes on an emotional note with a number about the Treaty of Versailles. The narrator returns to share about how this effort of peace helped end WW1 and you can hear the tinge of triumph in the band’s upbeat buoyancy. Sabaton knows how to grab hearts by their amazing storytelling and proficient playing. Hats off to this group for their ability to engage and entertain their listeners about real-life heroes, trails, and triumphs.

Buy the album here: https://media.nuclearblast.de/shoplanding/2021/Sabaton/album/the-war-to-end-all-wars.html

7 / 10

RAGIN ROSIE