Released on March 4, 2022, "The War to End All Wars" is Sabaton's 10th studio album and is a second part of their previous recording "The Great War" about World War 1.
"The War to End All Wars" is a power metal history class with tales of war and of heros wrapped up in big neoclassical symphonic riffs and choruses.
Singer, Joakim Brodén, explains why they recorded a second album about World War 1:
There were still stories left untold. "In some cases," he explains, "we just didn't have the right music, and there were specific stories we had wanted to tell, like 'The Christmas Truce' and 'Hellfighters.' Also, once we went on tour in support of The Great War, we met and heard from so many fans who told us about other great WW1 stories we'd never heard before, stories that were just so good, we kept asking ourselves, 'how did we miss this?'
Class is in session.
"Stormtroopers" leads the album at a blistering pace. The song is about the Stormtroopers, specialist soldiers of Imperial Germany.
"Dreadnought" continues the battle with some nice middle eastern riffs thrown in. The song is about the dreadnought-type battleships and the Battle of Jutland.
"The Unkillable Soldier" plows through the carnage and is about Lieutenant General Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart. He was a solider shot in the face, head, stomach, ankle, leg, hip, and ear; blinded in his left eye; survived two plane crashes; tunnelled out of a prisoner-of-war camp; and tore off his own fingers when a doctor declined to amputate them. Describing his experiences in the First World War, he wrote, "Frankly, I had enjoyed the war" in his book "Happy Odyssey."
Hostilities carry on with "Soldier of Heaven." Cool synth keyboard riffs give the tune a chilling, haunting atmosphere. The song is about the Italian-Austrian front and the White Friday avalanches that killed over 10,000 soldiers in the Dolomite mountains.
Battle lines continue to be drawn with "Hellfighter." Thrash stained power metal at its finest. The song chronicles the United States 369th Infantry Regiment of African Americans known as the Harlem Hellfighters. They spent 191 days in frontline trenches more than any other American unit. They also had the most casualties, 1500, more than other American regiments.
"Race to the Sea" is a thumping crusade about Albert I of Belgium fighting alongside Belgian soldiers in the Battle of the Yser at the end of the 1914 leading the last offensive of the war liberating occupied Belgium.
"Lady of the Dark" is another sonic assault about a female Serbian Soldier, Milunka Savić. Her brother was suffering from tuberculosis, so she joined the Serbian armed forces in her brother's place. Cutting her hair and donning men's clothing, she fought on the front lines and ended up being one of the most revered soldiers.
"The Valley of Death" is fast paced and catchy as hell. You will find yourself pumping your fists and singing along right from the start. The song tells the story of the Battle of Doiran between the United Kingdom and Bulgaria.
"Christmas Truce" has a beautiful piano part and extreamly heartfelt. It is about the Christmas Truce of 1914 where soldiers on both sides got together to share candies, photos of their families and sing Christmas carols.
"Versailles" is an uplifting, inspiring, and hopeful song discussing the signing of the Treaty of Versailles to end the first world war.
Overall, the album is epic power metal about songs of battle and heroism. It reminds me of stories of old where they would sing about battles and heroes like in ancient Greece or in stories like The Lord of the rings. Rather "Homeric" in its scope.
It is important to remember that these songs do not glorify war. They showcase human beings overcoming obstacles, fighting against all odds to end the war and bring about peace.
If you would like to get deeper into these stories have a listen to the History Edition of this album. Complete with narratives along with the songs. If you're tired of binge watching a show on Netflix grab a pair of headphones, mug of beer, and take a listen to the history edition of "The War to End All Wars." It will be well worth it.
If you are interested in learning more about World War 1 and history, check out the Sabaton History Channel on YouTube. A great way to feed your mind along with great music.
Album rating 5 out of 5 guitar pics:
Class dismissed!
Band members
- Joakim Brodén – lead vocals, keyboards
- Pär Sundström – bass, backing vocals
- Chris Rörland – guitars, backing vocals
- Tommy Johannson – guitars, backing vocals
- Hannes Van Dahl – drums, backing vocals
Guest musicians
- Bethan Dixon Bate – narration on "Sarajevo", "Versailles" and History Edition
- Flowing Chords – backing vocals on "Christmas Truce"
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