There’s something really heartening about seeing a band grow from playing to a handful of people in their early days in a small club to headlining a huge 20,000 seat arena in the space of a few years. For sheer grit, determination and genuine passion for their art, there’s few that deserve this success more than Sweden’s finest proponents of Power Metal, Sabaton. The fact that they are also a jolly decent bunch of chaps too makes this success even sweeter.
As part of the Legendary Tour in support of their latest opus, Legends, Sabaton hit the shores of the UK with the force of a tornado for a three date smash and grab extravaganza of fire and brimstone in what was billed as their biggest, most bombastic show yet.
Most bands when they tour take out a promising young act or a classic vintage artist as a special guest, but not Sabaton. Instead, they brought along The Legendary Orchestra, a full blown orchestra and choir performing Sabaton’s music, in Classical style.
To say that this was stunning is an absolute understatement. Hearing “Ghost Division” and “Bismark” with a full on orchestra and blazing choir was a stirring experience. With violinist Mia Asano and Patty Gurdy on hurdy gurdy under the supervision of conductor and vocalist Noa Gruman providing the main focal point to their performance, this was seriously thrilling stuff and a totally inspired choice from Sabaton to open their show. The Legendary Orchestra may well be the best support band that you will ever see.
2023’s The Tour To End All Tours set the bar unfeasibly high for Sabaton to reach so they really had to pull out the stops to top that and pull out the stops they most definitely did.
With a stage set based on a huge castle akin to Tomar Castle in Portugal and the legendary Krak des Chevaliers castle in Syria, with ramparts, turrets and a huge drum riser in the centre, this was no ordinary show. Towards the back of the sprawling arena, was a smaller stage set in a castle turret. This was jaw dropping stuff.
As the lights went down and the roar went up Napoleon Bonaparte appeared on the smaller stage, moaning about Abba and Waterloo to a jocular chorus of boos like the baddie in a pantomime. He was soon joined by Genghis Khan and then Julius Cesar and Knights Templar, Jacques De Molay before the choral opening strains of “Templars” heralded the entrance of Sabaton, dressed in full Knights Templar chainmail and tunics.
As a huge bridge, lined with blazing torches, descended from the roof, Sabaton climbed the stairs and headed to the main stage as “Templars” reached its stirring climax.
From then on, it was full steam ahead with “The Last Stand” and “Hordes Of Khan” before Napoleon entered the main stage for “I, Emperor” setting off a few canons in the process.
Julius Cesar, then stepped back onto the stage for a rousing “Crossing The Rubicon”, just one of many songs in Sabaton’s arsenal that are so uplifting and so catchy that it’s impossible for even the hardest cynic not to be swept away with the sheer passion and emotion of the music.
Frontman Joakim Brodén lead from the front, fist in the air as Pär Sundström, Chris Rörland and returning guitarist Thorbjörn Englund criss crossed the stage with a level of energy reserved for elite sportsman. It was exhilarating stuff.
A beautiful and very timely “Christmas Truce” saw return of the choir from The Legendary Orchestra for a deeply moving rendition of this legendary tale from The Great War surrounded by lights from thousands of mobile phones.
With Broden in a gasmask and armed with a smoking gun, he descended the steps with the rest of the band and walked through the crowd fist bumping the fans as they went before returning for “Attack Of The Deadmen”.
With “Night Witches”, “Primo Victoria”, “Steel Commanders” and “Art Of War” raising the temperature to boiling point, aided and abetted by more fire and explosions than a small war, it was left to the vintage “Masters Of The World” and a huge shower of confetti to bring quite possibly the most breathtaking, awe-inspiring show of the last decade to a bombastic close.
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