Formation and first albums (1999–2009)
Sabaton was formed in December 1999. After the first songs were recorded in Peter Tägtgren's studio, The Abyss, Sabaton was contacted by a couple of record labels. The band signed with the Italian label Underground Symphony, which then released, internationally, the promo CD Fist for Fight. The disc, distilled from two demo tapes recorded between 1999 and 2000, was intended to promote forthcoming Sabaton releases. In 2002, a new album, Metalizer was recorded and was supposed to be distributed by Underground Symphony as the band's debut album. After two years of waiting, during which the band held various performances across Sweden, the album was abandoned.[4][5]
Joakim Brodén playing at Global East Rock Festival in Ukraine 2010
The band returned for a second album titled Primo Victoria. Brodén stated that the album's title track "kicked off" the band's historical theme.[6] Sundström stated that the band decided to focus primarily on historical themes in their lyrics after he and Brodén watched the film Saving Private Ryan.[7] Sabaton signed with Black Lodge, the metal division of the Sound Pollution record label. In early 2005, keyboardist Daniel Myhr was recruited in order to relieve Joakim Brodén of his keyboard duties. In early 2006, Sabaton toured in support of Edguy and DragonForce.[8] The band's third album, Attero Dominatus, was released in Europe on 28 July 2006.[9] In March 2007, Sabaton released Metalizer as a double disc together with Fist for Fight, along with the previously unreleased song "Birds of War".[10]
Sabaton performing at Norway Rock Festival in 2010
As a follow-up to Metalizer, in May 2008, Sabaton released its fourth album The Art of War, an album inspired by the influential book by Sun Tzu. The decision to base the album upon Sun Tzu's book came from the idea that in the 2000 years since the book was written, the human race has achieved many things, but, apart from weapon advancements, operational art, and strategy, war itself has remained basically the same.[citation needed] The album contains the singles "Cliffs of Gallipoli" and "Ghost Division". They toured Europe in 2009 as an opening act on the HammerFall Tour.[11] After their Bloodstock performance, the band again went on tour with DragonForce, towards the end of 2009, for eighteen shows in the UK.[12]
Coat of Arms (2010–2011)
The band had hoped to begin recording the next album in October but with concerts booked and the DragonForce support tour the following month, it was pushed back. On 23 December 2009, the band announced the name of their forthcoming album. Coat of Arms contains a majority of songs about World War II including the Winter War. They announced it on their official website, and posted a link to a YouTube video containing the album art and a teaser music sample. Coat of Arms was released on 21 May 2010. The first music video, for "Uprising", was released on 1 August 2010 and features Peter Stormare. This was accompanied by a European tour. A second music video, for "Screaming Eagles", was released on 25 May.
Lineup change (2012–2015)
In 2012, two-thirds of Sabaton's lineup left the band.[13] On 31 March vocalist Joakim Brodén confirmed rumors that the band would be going separate ways, with only Brodén himself and bass player Pär Sundström staying on board. Sabaton was joined by new members Chris Rörland and Thobbe Englund on guitar, and Robban Bäck on drums. Former Sabaton guitarists Oskar Montelius and Rikard Sundén, drummer Daniel Mullback and keyboardist Daniel Myhr went on, together with vocalist Nils Patrik Johansson and bassist Stefan Eriksson, to form a new band, Civil War.[14] In November 2012, drummer Robban Bäck decided to take a break from touring due to becoming a father. Snowy Shaw replaced him as touring drummer, who in turn was replaced by Hannes Van Dahl in November 2013. Prior to replacing Shaw, Van Dahl had worked as Shaw's drum technician while drumming for the band Evergrey.
In the same year, Sabaton released a new concept album Carolus Rex.[15]
Sabaton performing at Rock Fest in 2014
Sabaton performing at Wacken Open Air, Germany in 2015
In January 2014, the band announced the cover of their new album called Heroes, then due to be released on 16 May 2014. The album proved to be a hit and made #1 on the official Swedish album chart.[16] On 27 January the band was announced to play Download Festival in June.[17] In October 2015 performed their first concert in Japan in Loud Park.
The Last Stand (2016–2018)
In December 2015, five songs by the band were added to the third external music pack for the strategy game Europa Universalis IV by Paradox Interactive.
On 6 June 2016, the 72nd anniversary of D-Day, they released a music pack for the Paradox game Hearts of Iron IV with songs based on World War II, the theme of the game. They released a second on 26 January 2017.
Their eighth album The Last Stand, was released on 19 August 2016, announced in April.[18] On 10 June 2016 the first single of the album was released, called "The Lost Battalion" and about the eponymous military unit of World War I.[19] On 25 July 2016, the band announced that guitarist Thobbe Englund had left the band.[20] Thobbe Englund played his last show with Sabaton at Sabaton Open Air 2016.
Tommy Johansson of Majestica was announced immediately as the new member after Englund's final show with the band.[21]
Pär Sundström stated in a 2017 interview that the group would be touring less in 2018 so they could concentrate on writing and recording their next album.[22] Joakim Brodén confirmed a 2019 release date for the still-untitled album in a September 2018 interview on MAD TV's show TV War.[23] On 31 December 2018, it was further confirmed in an official announcement YouTube video.[citation needed]
Sabaton History and The Great War (2019)
On 8 January 2019, the band announced the creation of a YouTube channel called Sabaton History, a cooperation between Indy Neidell, TimeGhost History and Sabaton. The channel documents the history of the events behind Sabaton songs and the songs themselves. The channel was created on 7 February 2019.[24]
On 22 April 2019 Sabaton released a standalone single, "Bismarck", in a collaboration with Wargaming and their game World of Warships. The song is about the German Battleship Bismarck, one of the biggest ever built in Europe. Commissioned in August 1940, it sank in May 1941 after an intense hunt in the North Atlantic.[25]
On 2 April 2019, the band announced a new concept album about the First World War entitled The Great War. On 5 May 2019, they played in Plzeň on the anniversary of the Prague uprising. The album was released on 19 July 2019.[26] The first single on the album is 'Fields of Verdun', which was released on 3 May.[27] On 13 June the lyric video for the song, "Red Baron", was released.[28] On 27 June the premiere of "The Great War" was released.[29]
On 1 August 2019, the band performed their 20th anniversary show at Wacken Open Air festival 2019; during the gig former guitarist Thobbe Englund joined the band on stage for two songs.[30] In the second half of the show Sabaton invited other former members to the festival's second stage - Rikard Sundén, Daniel Mÿhr, and Daniel Mullback, along with Englund. Sundén, Mÿhr, and Mullback are all members of Civil War, a similar band formed by the three along with Oskar Montelius, another former Sabaton member, as well as Nils Patrik Johansson and Stefan Erikkson, neither of whom are former Sabaton members.[citation needed]
On 30 August 2019, the band was involved in a serious car accident in Tunisia while returning from a music video shoot in the Sahara Desert. Injuries from the wreck forced them to cancel a show in Gdańsk, Poland.[31]
Single releases and The War to End All Wars (2020–present)
On 23 December 2020, Sabaton posted a short teaser of a new song on YouTube, writing: "We bet you did not see this one coming.. Are you ready for some new Sabaton music? Wait no more! Hear now a teaser of one of our upcoming songs.."[32] On the next day, the band announced that they would begin recording their tenth studio album "in a few days".
They released "Livgardet", the Swedish version of a new single, on 26 February 2021, with the English version released on 9 April.[33] The song is a tribute to the Swedish regiment Livgardet, the Royal Guard, released in relation to its 500-year anniversary as a military unit, making it one of the world's longest serving military units. The song was initially done in cooperation with the Swedish Armed Forces and Livgardet regiment, but the cooperation was halted after orders from the Swedish Army Command, citing the fact that Sabaton had played on Crimea in 2015 on a festival hosted by the Russian motorcycle gang Night Wolves.[34]
On 7 May 2021, a single called "Defence of Moscow", an English cover of a song in Russian by Radio Tapok, was released.[35]
On 10 August 2021, Sabaton posted a teaser for 14 August 2021 in morse code translating to 'The war to end all wars.'[36] This then lead to the announcement on 14 August 2021 of their new album continuing on the subject of World War I with the title The War to End All Wars.[37] It was released on 4 March 2022. The first single from the album, "Christmas Truce", was released on 29 October 2021.[38] The second single from the album, "Soldier of Heaven", was released on 7 January 2022.[39] The third single from the album, "The Unkillable Soldier", was released on 11 February 2022.[40]
On 25 August 2021, the song "Steel Commanders" was released in support of new Sabaton content in the popular video game World of Tanks.[41] It was later elected by Loudwire as the 33rd best metal song of 2021.[42]
On 30 September 2022, the song "Father" about German scientist Fritz Haber was released as the first single from their EP Weapons of the Modern Age, part of a planned three-part trilogy titled Echoes of the Great War.
Discography
Primo Victoria (2005)
Attero Dominatus (2006)
Metalizer (2007)
The Art of War (2008)
Coat of Arms (2010)
Carolus Rex (2012)
Heroes (2014)
The Last Stand (2016)
The Great War (2019)
The War to End All Wars (2022)
Thundergods
Sabaton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As the battle rages on
We will tear this world us under
Feel our power
Through a darkened sky we riding
Pierce the night with bolts of light
Under cover
We will break through with
Thunder and fire
Realising an unholy
Hellborn, desire
We are out of control
To conquer this world
From a world you broken into
From a world unknown to man
We release our wrath upon you
Holy bloodshed
Breaking chains of your religion
Worship none or be destroyed
You cannot defeat our legion
Bleed the world red
We will break through with
Thunder and fire
Realising an unholy
Hellborn, desire
We are out of control
To conquer this world
Lightning bolts of anger
Raging in your world
We uphold the darkness
Rulers of the moonlight
As you think its over
Calm has settled in
Thundergods returning
Back to rule this planet again
Future role of generations
Let us rage into this world
They'll be trusting our patience
Run for cover
Hear the rolling sound of thunder
As the battle rages on
We will tear this world us under
Feel our power
The song "Thundergods" by Sabaton is a battle song that describes the arrival of a powerful and destructive army. The lyrics use thunder as a metaphor for the unstoppable force of the army, which will tear through the world and conquer everything in its path. The first two stanzas speak of the army's power and determination to find and defeat their enemies. The following stanzas describe the army's mission to destroy religion and release their wrath upon the world. The final stanzas talk about the army's dominance over the world and the future generations that will follow them.
The imagery in the lyrics is evocative of a storm, with the sound of thunder, bolts of light, and lightning bolts of anger. The song speaks to the idea of destructive power, both from an army and from a natural phenomenon like a storm. The lyrics also seem to suggest that the army's goal is to create a new world order by destroying the old one.
Overall, "Thundergods" is a powerful and intense song that speaks to the fears and desires of those who seek to conquer the world around them.
Line by Line Meaning
Hear the rolling sound of thunder
The anticipation of a war brewing can be heard and felt with the sound of rolling thunder.
As the battle rages on
The battle has already started and is still ongoing.
We will tear this world us under
The goal of the soldiers is to completely destroy everything in their path and upend the established order of the world.
Feel our power
The soldiers want their enemies to feel their immense strength and will not stop until their goal is achieved.
Through a darkened sky we riding
The soldiers are on the move, traversing through the sky in a dark, ominous manner.
Pierce the night with bolts of light
The soldiers' weapons and firepower are so bright and powerful they are piercing through the darkness of the night.
We will find you although you are hiding
No matter where or how the enemy is hiding, the soldiers will seek them out and find them.
Under cover
The enemy may be hiding under some form of protection or defense but it will not protect them from the soldiers.
We will break through with
The soldiers will break through any barrier or obstacle in their way with their ultimate weapons of destruction.
Thunder and fire
The weapons of the soldiers involve thunder and fire, which are often symbolic of destruction and power.
Realising an unholy
The soldiers are completely aware that their actions and destruction are immoral and go against commonly accepted beliefs.
Hellborn, desire
The soldiers have an unquenchable thirst for destruction and power, which is often associated with hellish desires.
We are out of control
The soldiers are completely swept up in the passion of warfare and are no longer in control of their actions.
To conquer this world
The soldiers' goal is complete and utter domination of the entire world, no matter the cost.
From a world you broken into
The soldiers have entered a world and disrupted its existing structure and order.
From a world unknown to man
The soldiers could be entering an unexplored or previously undiscovered world with their destructive mission.
We release our wrath upon you
The soldiers seek to punish and destroy their enemies with every ounce of their being, unleashing their full wrath upon them.
Holy bloodshed
The violence and destruction caused by the soldiers is so all-encompassing that it is now considered holy bloodshed.
Breaking chains of your religion
The soldiers seek to destroy any form of religious beliefs or ideology held by their enemy.
Worship none or be destroyed
The soldiers' message is clear; their enemy must abandon their religion or face total destruction.
You cannot defeat our legion
The soldiers' forces are so vast and powerful that their enemy has no chance of defeating them in battle.
Bleed the world red
The soldiers' mission is to cause so much destruction and death that the world is left in a state of complete and utter carnage.
Lightning bolts of anger
The soldiers' weapons are symbolic of their extreme anger and desire for revenge.
Raging in your world
The soldiers' are bringing their rage and destruction to the enemy's world.
We uphold the darkness
The soldiers are now completely embracing the darkness and destruction they have caused.
Rulers of the moonlight
The soldiers have now taken over the world, becoming rulers and kings under the light of the moon.
As you think its over
Just when the enemy thought the destruction is over, the soldiers are ready to unleash more destruction.
Calm has settled in
The enemy may believe the storm has passed and all is well, but the soldiers are not done.
Thundergods returning
The soldiers, who are considered gods of thunder, are now returning to continue their reign of destruction.
Back to rule this planet again
The soldiers return to rule the planet with their power and control.
Future role of generations
The soldiers are paving the way for future generations to follow in their path of destruction and domination.
Let us rage into this world
The soldiers invite others to join them in their destructive mission, asking them to rage alongside them.
They'll be trusting our patience
The soldiers know that they may have to wait for future generations to fully embrace their destructive mission.
Run for cover
The soldiers' message to their enemies is clear; they need to run for cover and hide from their destruction and power.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOAKIM BRODEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind