Band:
Joakim Brodén – Vocals
Rikard Sunden – Guitar
Oskar Montelius – Guitar
Daniel Mÿhr – Keyboards
Pär Sundström – Bass
Daniel Mullback – Drums
Discography:
Fist for Fight (2001)
Primo Victoria (2005)
Attero Dominatus (2006)
Metalizer (2007)
The Art of War (2008)
Guests:
Info
Peter Tätgren & Sabaton - Production
Fredrik Nordström, Andrew Hayball & Sabaton - Mix
Released 21/5-2010
Reviewed 4/5-2010
Links:
sabaton.com
myspace
Youtube
nuclearblast
This band has an obsession with war and surely we all have to be obsessed with something, I am obsessed with a lot of things but I don’t make records about it and war feels a bit like an unhealthy obsession since it is not a good thing. War just brings out the worst in people, war does not make anyone great, war is not a good solution to anything and it is only a symbol of the stupidity that humans possess and making music about feels almost even worse really.
Still, my mission is fortunately not to review the lyrics, though it would have been easy just the lowest possible rating and say that it really sucks. My mission is to review the music and that is what I am to do now.
The first thing that strikes me is that the music of Sabaton on both this record and the one before it sounds a lot like schlager which is a popular kind of popmusical genre here in Sweden and I was actually thinking of mentioning some of the more well known artists of that genre as similar bands but you who do not have much to do with Sweden would not know what I am talking about. Thing is that their music sound über positive, happy with sing along catchy choruses and so on, kind of like Freedom Call but with one major difference, Freedom Call make it with a smile on their face, Sabaton does not.
Another thing that strikes me is that I am constantly annoyed with the singer who’s name I haven’t even bothered to remember or look up for this text, it is said in the left column anyway. His voice is really awful and the way he pronounce some words is quite annoying. I would say that my main quibble with this record is with the singer and how he ruins decent songs.
I think the songs on this record work quite alright, opening Coat of Arms for instance has a nice melody and some happy sing along parts, thing is though that it does not really work well with the lyrics and that also annoys me. There are lots of things that annoy me with this record. Still, its main problem is how mediocre this is, it really has nothing that grab my interest and it has not any real trace of individual thought, just dull and boring.
I have no idea what the big deal about this band is, why they get to do great video production or big tours at cool places. Why is that not something that the good band get to do, Nuclear Blast are about to release at least one truly amazing piece of music in a while and those will probably not get the same attention at all. Well life is certainly unfair.
In the end I can honestly say that I am pleased to be done with this record because it means I will never hear it again and that is for the best as it is boring.
A truly uninspiring piece of music made by a mediocre band.
HHHHHHH
