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Sweden’s Sabaton return with Coat of Arms, a ferocious beast of an album. Sabaton go over the edge with this exciting and powerful album that is chock full of interesting arrangements, historically significant lyrical themes, and a bright, pounding sound that is fairly unique in a market that it is very hard to be unique in.
There are a number of standout tracks here starting with the album’s title track (which opens the album). The song has a hint of mystery to it as it opens a bit like a Fairy Tale-ish Yes song before jumping into a metal gallop laced with a chorus of singers offering a lot but saying little. “Uprising” is the album’s highlight with its Dio-era Sabbath anthem like grind. You will be pumping your fist defiantly by mid-song! “Wehrmacht” and the bouncy “Aces in Exile” feature excellent guitar work that quickly separates Sabaton from their peers. There really isn’t a bad song on Coat of Arms if you enjoy big, anthemic metal that doesn’t shy away from melody or wonder.
I’ll be brutally honest here and say that I’m pretty sure that their music has crossed my desk at various points over the last decade but I’d always either delegated it to someone else or passed on covering it. This time though, something about the cover art for their new opus drew me in and made me listen.What Sabaton has to offer will certainly appeal to fans of bands like Edguy, newer Nightwish, Therion, and Epica, maybe even to fans of a band like Hail of Bullets who are heavy on history themed lyrics, but their sound is strikingly unique.
Bottom Line: Great album. Great Cover. Great Band.
Key Tracks: “Uprising," “Aces in Exile”
Reviewed by: Mark Fisher
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