Released By: Better Noise Music
Release Date: October 17th, 2025
Genre: Heavy/Power Metal
Links: https://www.sabaton.net/
Line Up:
Joakim Broden – Vocals, Keyboards
Thobbe Englund – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Chris Rorland – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Par Sundstrom – Bass, Backing Vocals
Hannes Van Dahl – Drums, Backing Vocals
Tracklist:
1. Templars
2. Hordes of Khan
3. A Tiger Among Dragons
4. Crossing the Rubicon
5. I, Emperor
6. Maid of Steel
7. Impaler
8. Lightning at the Gates
9. The Duelist
10. The Cycle of Songs
11. Till Seger
Sometimes, I’ll think of certain topics I’d like one of my favorite bands to cover on one of their albums, and every once in a while, it comes to fruition. The latest case of this is with Legends, the upcoming tenth full length album by Swedish heavy/power metal band Sabaton. Coming off two consecutive albums focused on World War I, I was curious as to what themes the band would tackle next. I felt they’d already covered more recent history quite thoroughly, so I was wondering if they’d ever consider diving a bit deeper, into pre 20th century history or further back. I was particularly interested in hearing them write a song about the Crusades, so needless to say, I was excited when the first single “Templars”, ended up being exactly what I was hoping for. This ended up being merely a tease, before the band officially announced the album, and that it would in fact take listeners much further back in time than most of their material. Of course, as interesting as the lyrical themes are, the real question is whether or not the music itself is any good. Unsurprisingly, the answer is a resounding yes! However, it does come with a bit of a caveat, that as a longtime Sabaton fan, this album is perhaps the longest it took for one of their albums to fully grow on me.
Sabaton is one of those bands where once you’ve heard even a couple of their albums, it’s pretty easy to know what their music is all about. Which is to say, they have a winning formula, and they’re well aware of that, so they rarely experiment much, and as a result, longtime fans really don’t need to know much about any individual album by them, to have an idea of what it’ll sound like. Legends is no exception, as it very much sticks to their usual formula, with a balanced mix of energetic keys, melodic guitar work with bursts of heaviness, epic symphonic arrangements, and incredibly catchy choruses, to go along with their signature brand of historic war based lyrics. As always, Joakim Broden leads the way, both with his deep, smooth vocals, and his keys, which are very much the driving force behind most tracks. There has been one lineup change since The War to End All Wars, with Tommy Johansson leaving the band to focus on his own projects, while former guitarist Thobbe Englund has returned, and immediately fits in as if he never left. Keyboards are as prominent as ever on this album, often providing atmospheric backdrops, as well as offering the main melody for many tracks, while guitars often play a secondary role, with lots of rhythm guitar throughout the verses, as well as bursts of heavy riffs and the occasional use of some excellent melodic lead guitar work. Drums are very solid, with Hannes Van Dahl providing steady beats, though his performance on this album is a bit dialed back for the most part, as most tracks are more subdued than what fans may expect, and with a couple exceptions, the drums are fairly restrained on most tracks, only going all out in quick bursts. Production is excellent, as always, and is exactly what longtime fans would expect.
I must admit, Legends surprised me quite a bit on my first couple listens, and not necessarily in a good way. Coming off two albums focused on a topic as heavy as World War 1, and said to be similar in concept to Heroes, one of my personal favorites by the band, I was expecting a light, fun album with a good amount of fast-paced tracks. However, that’s not at all what the band has delivered. There are a couple speedy tracks, and brief bursts of speed on tracks like “A Tiger Among Dragons” and “Crossing the Rubicon”, but for the most part, this is the most subdued Sabaton album to date, even compared against The Last Stand, which also took a long time to grow on me. It turns out, while the concept is similar to Heroes, in that it focuses on remarkable individuals who left an undeniable mark on history, it’s different in that not only does it go further back in history (as far back as 1878 B.C.), it also tackles some much more controversial figures, such as Vlad the Impaler and Napoleon Bonaparte. As a result, many of the tracks have a dark, sinister vibe, and as a whole, I find the album to be more epic and cinematic, as opposed to being overly fun and catchy like Heroes. Part of this is due to the reduced tempo I mentioned earlier, but even some of the choruses are often either darker and a bit more subtle, or just plain epic, but not in an overly flashy or immediately engaging way like the band is often known for. Obviously, there are still some fun tracks, such as single “Hordes of the Khan” and the explosive “Maid of Steel”, but there’s one particular stretch early on which is a lot more atmospheric and epic, and those tracks took a long time to fully sink in and impress me, while others made a more immediate first impression.
Moving on to the song themselves, we start with lead single, “Templars”. I already mentioned being pleased with the lyrics, while musically it’s a fairly typical Sabaton track, with a huge emphasis on melodic keys, epic symphonic arrangements and choir vocals. It moves at a fairly moderate pace throughout, never speeding up nor slowing down, and it’s a very keyboard driven track, with a strong cinematic feel. Guitars are used in bursts, most notably during the excellent solo section, while the rest of the track is fairly soft and melodic, with the chorus in particular being fairly simple, but also quite epic and catchy. The final run features more intense drums and some extra guitar work, to send the track home in epic fashion. It’s an excellent track overall, and definitely one of the more immediately engaging ones. The hits continue with second single “Hordes of Khan”, one of the two speediest tracks on the album. It explodes out of the gate, with fast and heavy guitar work, intense drums and some powerful vocals from Broden, which carry on throughout the opening verse. The chorus is fast, intense and quite fun, with some excellent guitar work and vocal melodies. The track had me expecting more of the band’s classic power metal sound, but needless to say, it ended up being an exception, and not the rule. Either way, it’s one of my personal favorites.
After a strong start, comes the section I mentioned earlier, which I initially wasn’t too fond of, but all three tracks have grown on me a lot over time, with one in particular becoming not just my favorite on the album, but one of my favorites by the band in general. First up is “A Tiger Among Dragons”, The track focuses on the legendary warlord Lu Bu (who fans of the video game franchise Dynasty Warriors should know well), and it’s a very slow-building, atmospheric track. It opens up slowly, with the percussion offering a sort of marching beat, while the keys have an electronic feel, and they have a sort of bounce. The opening verse has little to no guitar work, and is much more ambient compared to most Sabaton tracks. The chorus remains slow, but does offer bursts of heavy guitars, though it’s still fairly restrained, and it’s one of the tracks that feels more epic than overly fun or catchy, more of a mood setting track than an explosive one. With that being said, there is a brief, but rather intense section towards the middle, where the guitars fully take over and the tempo picks up, leading to a classic power metal infused instrumental section. It doesn’t last long, but it’s the highlight of the track, though I will admit, the track as a whole is excellent, even if it took several listens for me to warm up to it. Next is “Crossing the Rubicon”, which opens up with some nice melodic guitar work, moving at a fairly moderate tempo. The verses slow things down and are lighter, and more keyboard driven, doing a nice job of building up to the chorus, which brings back the main melody teased early on. It’s a fairly catchy track, though still not overly explosive. The chorus is excellent, and easily the highlight of the track, along with a very short speedy instrumental section towards the end.
The track that grew on me the most is “I, Emperor”, which I found a bit boring at first, but after a few listens it had fully dug its claws into me, and over time it has become one of my all time favorites by the band. It starts off with a nice, steady drum beat and some epic choir vocals, before settling into a slow paced groove. The opening verse is slow paced and keyboard driven, but with a very catchy drum beat that stays throughout the song. The lyrics are about Napoleon Bonaparte and they have a unique structure, with almost every line in the verses and chorus beginning with either “I will” or “I’ll”, basically talking about all the ways in which Bonaparte would own his enemies, but in a way that it comes off as one of the most epic, badass things I’ve ever heard. The chorus has an irresistible groove, and the lyrics are repetitive but catchy in such a way that after a while it becomes hopelessly addictive, and after a while, I realized I couldn’t possibly shake it off. There’s also a really epic section in the middle, with more of a military beat, and the lyrics break off from the usual pattern, while still remaining incredibly epic. The last run through the chorus is absolutely glorious, and one of my favorite moments of any Sabaton track.
Following that extended softer stretch, “Maid of Steel” is another more explosive track, instantly firing off at full blast, with intense, thrashy guitar work, and moving at a frantic pace. The verses have a rather unique feel for a Sabaton track, being a bit heavier and more intense than I was expecting, and while the build up to the chorus briefly falls back into more familiar, melodic territory, the chorus speeds up again, and is very intense and explosive, while also being one of the catchier choruses on the album. There’s a slow, epic bridge in the middle, which is also excellent, and the solo section is quite fast and furious, leading back into the chorus. The track also has some of my favorite lyrics on the album, based on the beloved figure, Jeanne d’Arc. It doesn’t take long for things to go back into darker, more unsettling territory with “Impaler”, which is indeed about the infamous Vlad the Impaler. This track took a long time to grow on me, and is still my least favorite on the album. It’s another more atmospheric track, moving at a slow pace, with a heavy focus on keys and mood setting over catchiness. There’s traces of heavy guitar work at points, with a sinister vibe, but those sections don’t last long, and the track has fairly minimal instrumentation for most of its run time. The chorus is very dialed back, with some rather menacing lyrics, and it does a nice job of setting the tone, but again, I listen to Sabaton expecting fun, catchy choruses,, so this laidback vibe doesn’t fully work for me, even if it does fit well with the lyrics. I can see the track being a potential favorite for some folks, but on a personal level, it’s a bit of a vibe killer. I will admit, though, the solo section is dark, yet also quite beautiful, and it’s easily my favorite part of the track.
Things pick up again with “Lightning at the Gates”, another mid paced, but more energetic and melodic track. The main beat and some of the melodies remind me a lot of “Uprising” from Coat of Arms, which is one of my favorites from the band, so it’s no surprise this track is also a personal favorite. The main beat and the overall sound of the verses and especially the chorus all feel familiar, but in a way that works perfectly, with some fantastic vocal melodies and drumming. The chorus in particular is one of the most melodic and memorable ones on the album, just like the aforementioned track. The solo section has a very heroic feel, and is one of my favorite sections on the album, and then the final chorus becomes more intense and is absolutely killer. Fans looking for speedier material will be happy with “The Duelist”, which has a very classic feel. It moves at a fast pace, with some nice melodic guitar work and an irresistible beat. It’s another track which reminds me a lot of past tracks, but it’s done very well, with the chorus and solo section in particular being a ton of fun, and it’s certainly one of the catchier songs on the album.
The longest track on the album is “Cycle of Songs”, actually one of the band’s longest tracks overall, clocking in at nearly six minutes. It’s another fairly laid back, highly keyboard driven track, with a strong atmosphere. The verses do a nice job of setting the mood, while the chorus is more melodic, but still not overly catchy or energetic. The track isn’t overly complex, and is structured fairly similarly to most Sabaton tracks, except with a longer opening section than usual, and I find each individual section is given a bit more time to breathe, instead of the band rushing things along like they often do, so the track is allowed to kinda linger in your mind a bit more. It’s a very epic track, and certainly one of the more unique tracks the band has done in a long time, if mostly because of its length and unhurried nature. Closing out the album is “Till Seger”, a Swedish sung track, which has a bit of folk flavor, especially in the main guitar melody. It moves at a moderate tempo, with a rather upbeat vibe, similar to “Gott mit uns” from Carolus Rex. In fact, the main melody reminds me a lot of that track, with its playful feeling and folk flavor, even if the chorus is fairly different. It’s a fun track, and it closes out the album nicely, especially coming after quite a few moodier tracks in the middle and back half.
Overall, Legends is an excellent album, and one Sabaton fans are sure to love. It’s an interesting album, in that some of the tracks are largely in line with what I expected, and remind me a lot of past tracks, but there’s also some rather surprising tracks, and the overall vibe is a bit darker, more atmospheric and less fun and catchy than I was expecting. Fans of the band’s speedier material will likely be a bit disappointed (though there are a couple highlights to look forward to), while those looking for some more epic, slow paced material will have a lot to enjoy on this album. Some tracks took a while to grow on me, and even now, one track in particular isn’t fully landing, but overall, it’s still on pace to become one of my most played albums of the year, just like any Sabaton album, and even if I’d rank it on the lower end of the band’s discography, it’s still excellent stuff, as always.
Ratings: 8/10
Written by: Travis Green
My Global Mind – Staff Writer
Travis Green is a Canadian based writer for My Global Mind, with a particular passion for power metal, as well as an interest metal in all its forms.
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