Author: Rok Klemše
Artist: Sabaton
Label: Black Lodge
Release: 2007
The album laid out before us should have become the debut of the Swedish band Sabaton five years ago. But Swedish metal had no luck with the Italian label Underground Symphony, which took a two-year siesta over the release of Metalizer, the record that was supposed to be the group’s debut, and so Metalizer never saw the light of day. The guys clearly had enough, and they went back home to the Swedish label Black Lodge, which finally made it possible for the band and fans to get Metalizer. And that’s not all! Metalizer comes with a compilation of demo recordings, Fist For Fight. Let it rip!
Those of you who already know Sabaton might be in for a surprise. You’ll look in vain for the epic power metal sound seasoned with war themes that dominates Primo Victoria or Attero Dominatus. Nope, what’ll slice through your ears is raw, primal metal, like some high-voltage mix of old-school Motorhead, Manowar and Judas Priest from the Painkiller era. Which means the production isn’t Swedish-polished either, but it delivers that proper vintage sound you won’t hear in similar bands. The choruses are contagious as always, the riffs are faster and schooled in the traditional metal book, and you won’t hear any keyboard noodling – the keys only build atmosphere, while the raw sound of the guitars dominates. True, Primo Victoria and Attero Dominatus are the more mature records, but Metalizer is damn fun and a proper headbanging injection.
Metalizer opens with a real Judas Priest slaughterhouse in Hellrider, where Sabaton paint a palette of heavy drums, sharp and aggressive riffing, with the cherry on top being the rough yet melodic vocals of Joakim Broden. Thundergods continues along similar lines with a monstrous chorus and a fantastic solo. Sabaton wreck everything in their path with thunder and fire! Next comes a fantastic title-track wrecker with deliberately clichéd metal lyrics that recall the good old anthems of Manowar or Judas Priest. With Shadows, Sabaton get closest to classic power metal, which fits the lyrics singing about The Lord of the Rings – what else? The more melodic side of the album, with excellent “Maiden-style” three-part harmonies, is represented by Burn Your Crosses, which is also the longest track on the record, and Endless Nights with its killer opening riffage. 7734 boasts a chorus that lodged itself in my head and has been squatting there for a while. Hail to the King and Thunderstorm bring back memories of early Manowar, but in a pile of hard-hitting, excellent tracks they’re also probably the weakest two on this little disc. Speeder is a proper assault of the old Motorhead school, a fast-paced track with a punchy chorus driven by Joakim’s raspy vocals. The regular part of the record closes with the excellent “Manowar-style” anthem Masters of the World, with unobtrusive keyboards and a contagious, multi-voiced chorus that grabs you in passing. What a fitting way to close out a record: a track that sings of a united metal crowd and proclaims the survival of metal. Will they break us, will we give in? NO!
As the bonus track of the special edition, we get a damn good cover of the Judas Priest classic Jawbreaker, which proves just how aggressive this band can be.
Time to swap discs, because up next is Fist For Fight, a compilation of demo recordings from 2000. It’s almost impossible to find in regular stores, which makes it an extra welcome addition. Booming, raw yet melodic power metal with raspy vocals is what defines Sabaton. Add a pinch of enticing lead guitars, double bass drums, crunchy rhythm guitars and a damn tight rhythm section, and you’ve got proof of why Sabaton have been thrilling people since the very beginning.
Hellrider, Endless Nights, Metalizer, Burn Your Crosses, Hail to the King, Shadows, plus Thunderstorm and Masters of the World were already so punchy as demos that they never needed much production polishing. Another proof that Sabaton are simply fantastic metal that knocks you out with a single blow. The Hammer Has Fallen is a ballad that didn’t make it onto Metalizer, and it’s honestly funny to hear Joakim belt out this tender little song with a vocal that’s anything but balladic. Guten Nacht continues at a similar tempo with a gentle, medieval-classical sound, closing out Fist For Fight. But Sabaton dug around in their sack a bit more and dragged out the unreleased Birds of War. We can only thank them, since it’s an excellent track with a strange piano-funeral intro that turns into a mid-tempo punch, with interesting melodies and Joakim’s voice even deeper and rawer.
The new Sabaton release doesn’t have many flaws, and the ones it does have are minor. Metalizer is a must for all fans of primal metal without unnecessary extras. Hard-hitting, three-to-five-minute tracks are exactly what it offers. We’re not deep into 2007, but Metalizer is one of the best albums released up to this point!
Line-up
Joakim Broden – vocals
Rikard Sunden – guitar
Oskar Montelius – guitar
Pär Sundström – bass guitar
Daniel Mullback – drums
Production
Tommy Tägtgren
Track list
CD 1 – Metalizer:
1. Hellrider
2. Thundergods
3. Metalizer
4. Shadows
5. Burn Your Crosses
5. 7734
6. Endless Nights
8. Hail to the King
9. Thunderstorm
10. Speeder
11. Masters of the World
12. Jawbreaker (special edition bonus)
CD 2 – Fist For Fight (demo compilation)
1. Introduction
2. Hellrider
3. Endless Nights
4. Metalizer
5. Burn Your Crosses
6. The Hammer Has Fallen
7. Hail to the King
8. Shadows
9. Thunderstorm
10. Masters of the World
11. Guten Nacht
12. Jawbreaker is not here
12. Birds of War
