I've long had a 'hit or miss' relationship with Sabaton, and to be honest, more often than not it's been a miss for a variety of reasons. Now I'll be the first to admit that what Sabaton do they do quite well, which is deliver melodic, raise your fist in the air, war themed power metal. For some reason though their music just never resonated with me, but I can still see the appeal, and obviously many metal fans don't share my viewpoint as these guys just keep gaining in popularity. Swedish Empire Live was recorded live on the bands tour of their most recent album Carolus Rex, so not surprisingly it draws heavily from that album but also dips into the bands back catalog. This review is of the CD version of this live set, but the band has also released an extensive DVD & Blu-ray as well which has more than just the Poland concert that is included here.
As live albums go, this one sounds pretty fantastic, with crunchy guitars, rock solid drumming, soaring vocals, symphonic keyboards, and exuberant crowd responses all coming across bigger than life, which is just what you want from a live recording. "The Lion From the North", "Cliffs of Gallipoli", "Ghost Division", "The Art of War", and many more Sabaton staples are here, so for fans of the band who just can't get enough of what they deliver, this live album will be a thrilling ride until the bands next studio opus. It's all a little too over the top, samey, and hammy for my tastes, but hey, that's just me.
Track Listing
01. The March To War
02. Ghost Division
03. Uprising
04. Gott Mit Uns
05. Cliffs Of Gallipoli
06. The Lion From The North
07. The Price Of A Mile
08. Into The Fire
09. Carolus Rex
10. Midway
11. White Death
12. Attero Dominatus
13. The Art Of War
14. Primo Victoria
15. 40:1
16. Metal Crüe
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
