Sabaton will return in 2025 for The Legendary Tour 2025, which will include a date at The O2 in London, having twice sold out OVO Arena Wembley. It is a far cry from December 2011, when Sabaton played to a packed Koko and, as an end-of-tour treat, let us all choose the setlist.
Sabaton
Koko, London – Friday 16 December 2011
Words: Johnny Churchill
“Crack of the lightning splitting the ground. Thunder is sounding, artillery pounding…”
Yes, Sabaton are in town, supported by the extremely scary Hell. I arrived too late to see their set and only caught the very tail end, but there was enough red-eyed flagellating to give me nightmares, and the audience seemed impressed.
The KOKO is packed to the rafters, and twenty minutes before the band is due on stage, the crowd cannot wait. Chants of “Sabaton, Sabaton” burst out from random pockets of insanely passionate devotees of this awesome band. By the time the lights go down and The Final Countdown overpowers the roaring masses, we are ready to march into battle.
With the force of a battalion of Russian T-34s, Sabaton opened with a triple punch of Ghost Division, Primo Victoria and the Polish anthem 40-1. In all honesty, short of throwing a Molotov cocktail into the moshpit, there is nothing more they could do to further ignite the crowd. It’s brilliant. But also a bit worrying to hear all our favourites so soon.
After a stirring and powerful Cliffs Of Gallipoli, frontman Joakim Brodén raises the roof by announcing that as an end-of-tour treat, we can choose the setlist!
Despite the mohawk haircut, army fatigues, tattoos and mirror shades, Brodén is such an amiable and enthusiastic frontman that you cannot help buying into his onstage banter. To keep it simple, he is going to call out a couple of tracks and whichever we cheer loudest for, they play. Fantastic!
Screaming Eagles, Coat Of Arms and for the first time in the UK, Talvisota, maintains the momentum before the band slows it down for The Price Of A Mile.
There was probably an alternative offered, but trust me, this was what everyone wanted. We deal in superlatives at MetalTalk, but Sabaton really do take the power ballad to a new level. I concede the band can be clichéd, and I am well aware this is a very niche segment of European Military Metal, but it works brilliantly live, with its theatrical crowd-pleasing choruses and passionate stories of war.
It’s a classic Metal Moment when the entire KOKO in unison sings of the futility of World War I trench warfare: “Thousands of feet march to the beat, it’s an army on the march. Long way from home, paying the price in young man’s lives. Thousands of feet march to the beat it’s an army in despair. Knee deep in mud, stuck in the trench with no way out.”
As a unit, Sabaton are at the top of their game. Like Iron Maiden, they have a natural ability to draw the crowd in and make the evening feel personal. And with total control of their back catalogue, it’s incredible to see them effortlessly play track after track with no hesitation – until one moment when, after a plea from the front row to play Union, Joakim has to admit they have forgotten how to play it.
“Yes, we suck,” he jokes. But luckily, we are treated to Panzerkampf, Uprising, White Death and – for the British, the Falklands anthem, Back In Control.
After some more banter from Joakim, who downs a beer (but only because it’s Christmas and the end of the tour), it’s heads down to the end. And what a finish!
Hailing from the Nordics, the evening would not be complete without Swedish Pagans, quickly followed by Panzer Battalion, Purple Heart and Attero Dominatus.
How do you end such a majestic gig? It’s simple. Break out the Metal Medley. Sabaton may walk through the fire of warfare with some challenging themes of death and destruction, but they are true classic Metal fans at heart and behind their ferocious onstage attack, there lurks a great sense of humour.
“This is a song about my penis,” shouts Joakim before the ludicrous and melodic Metal Machine. It’s a glorious slab of dumb fun and the perfect close to a brilliant end-of-tour party and, for me, one of 2011’s greatest gigs.
Before leaving the stage, they reveal the artwork for their new album, due in March 2012. Make a date in your diary because Sabaton will be out in full force next year and are not to be missed.
