Power metal isn't cool, and if we’re being honest, it never has been. Years of blokes singing in falsetto about dragons and shit have cemented the genre as the Crocs of the metal world, but Sabaton have always been content to buck this trend.
Formed in 1999, the Swedes sing about war, exclusively, and are cheesier than Cliff Richard slathered in mozzarella. 'Heroes' is their sixth studio effort, and finds them again with plenty to prove following the slightly inconsistent 'Carolus Rex' and the ejection of four band members.
Judging by album opener Night Witches, it seems the shake-up has, if anything, given the band a kick up the arse. Packing the same ferocious punch as fan favourite Ghost Division, a bludgeoning riff provides the backdrop for JoakimBrodén's baritone vocals. Sounding like Bane, were he to stop terrorising Gotham and pick up singing, Brodén always has and will be the focal point of this band. Here, as ever, his voice is just so damn manly.
That's not to say that the new guys have nothing to contribute. Recent recruits Chris Rörland and ThobbeEnglund guitar hero the crap out of this record, with the solos on just about every song adding an extra layer to proceedings, rather than simply padding things out.
However, Sabaton has always been Brodén's beast, and he's not afraid to introduce a few new tricks while updating some old ones. To Hell And Back is, without doubt, the most adventurous thing Sabaton have ever put their name to. A mixture of spaghetti western melodies, hard-hitting riffs and an infectious drum pattern, it'd be a crime to not play it live.
There are grandiose, unashamedly over-the-top choirs on album closer Hearts Of Iron, sing-along gang vocals during No Bullets Fly and, surprisingly, a slow one, The Ballad Of Bull. The piano-laden sob-fest is reminiscent of The Hammer Has Fallen and while some may find the whole thing cringe-worthy due to Brodén's limited vocal range, for the open minded it's a hell of a lot of fun.
Basically, Sabaton have written an album that will appeal to Sabaton fans, while also broadening their appeal to ensnare unsuspecting newbies. They've not gone and changed their sound, and it's still rammed with massive choruses, bouncy melodies and unholy amounts of synth. Easily on-par with the band's best work to date, 'The Art Of War', 'Heroes' is everything you would expect from a Sabaton album, along with a few welcome surprises.
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