SABATON – Heroes (2014)

„Fear has gripped our hearts, bouncing, here, close are our villains“ (Bulgarian song). More or less jug-handled, the new album by Sabaton hid my hat. Treasure for fans and roadside stone for the so-called „haters“, „Heroes“ portend front places in the metal charts in 2014. I’m not exaggerating – the familiar style and sound of Sabaton is felt from miles away. And this time again are not lacking choirs, laconic kick ass melodies, aggressive drums, Latin passages (my favorite) and metal odes about heroism.

The most powerful and compelling (in my opinion) is the opening song – „Night witches“, which captivates with melodiousness and is a promising beginning for the studio album. So I’m almost imagining the synchronized headbanging on concerts, while singing along with the distinguishing chorus under the strict orchestral conducting of Joakim Broden. It would probably be more than a cliché if I illustrate Sabaton‘s music as a battleground, but it is just as it’s felt – fans are cowering under the strong and swift bullets volleying in abundance in „Heroes.“ The skin bristles, the hair stands up and you do not feel how tracks like „No bullets fly“ and the single „To hell and back“  have pushed you – powerless and voiceless – to the wall.

Like a children’s song, „Inmate 4859“  evocative tells the sad fate of a hero, except that in children’s songs are not sung things such as Auschwitz, prison and cages. After the climax „To hell and back“ the battlefield is lulling in front of of the military anthem ballad „The ballad of the bull“ – ready to to be headed to resolve the outcome of the battle with another series of sweeping (and motivating) martial odes like „Resist and bite“, „Soldier of three armies“ and „Far from the fame„.

Even if some of the songs stand paler before the contenders for future hits in the overall structure, separately, they’re forming an excellent mental and physical impact on fans. „Hearts of iron“ is the final glorifying hymn, that summarizes the just-suffered musical assault within 4 minutes and a half. Don’t judge a book by its cover. Although the cover of the „Heroes“ does not unfold the whole potential of the album, the minimal hint of it causes a feeling of emotional satisfaction – that is felt after you hear a long anticipated (and excellent) album of a favorite band. That band not only is not standing away from its style, but it solidifies it with every neat march.

I’ve noticed that there’s rarely a middle situation with Sabaton – either you like them or not. If you’re among the first ones, „Heroes“ will justify your (probably) high expectations and in the end will get you out of the battlefield, prostrated by the Swedish metal tanks. And you will want to come back and repeat that, and then re-repeat it. That is what I call fan masochism – in a good way, I mean. (:

9/10

„Heroes“ is officially out on the 16th May via Nuclear Blast Records.