World War Live: Battle of the Baltic Sea

Sabaton
Sabaton at Hellfest, 2017
Background information
Origin	Falun, Sweden
Genres	Power metal
Years active	1999–present
Labels	Underground Symphony, Black Lodge, Nuclear Blast
Website	sabaton.net
Members	Joakim Brodén Pär Sundström Chris Rörland Hannes van Dahl Tommy Johansson
Past members	Oskar Montelius Rikard Sundén Richard Larsson Daniel Mullback Daniel Mÿhr Robban Bäck Thobbe Englund

Sabaton [ˈsæbəˌtɑn] is a Swedish power metal band from Falun. The band's main lyrical themes are based on war and historical battles - the name is a reference to a sabaton, knight's foot armor. The armor and battle theme is heard in the albums The Art of War, Coat of Arms, Carolus Rex, Heroes, and The Last Stand in which all of the songs contain these motifs, except final tracks which are tribute songs to influential heavy metal bands. Lyrical content drawn from World War I, World War II and other historical conflicts is prevalent and lyrics often recite stories of heroic deeds by men and armies from all over the world. In April 2012, guitarists Oskar Montelius and Rikard Sundén, drummer Daniel Mullback, and keyboardist Daniel Mÿhr left the band to form Civil War. Lead vocalist Joakim Brodén and bassist Pär Sundström continued with new members, with Brodén assuming keyboard duties.

Sabaton was formed in December 1999. After the first songs were recorded in Peter Tägtgren's studio, The Abyss, Sabaton was contacted by a couple of record labels. The band decided to sign with the Italian label Underground Symphony, under which internationally released the promo CD Fist for Fight —actually a compilation consisting of material from two demotapes recorded between 1999 and 2000— with the intention to promote forthcoming releases. In 2002, a new album was recorded. Metalizer was supposed to be distributed by Underground Symphony as the band's debut album, but after two years of waiting, during which the band held various performances across Sweden, the album was abandoned.

The band returned for a second album titled Primo Victoria. They signed with Black Lodge, the metal division of the Sound Pollution record label. In early 2005, they recruited Daniel Myhr to relieve Joakim Brodén. Their third album Attero Dominatus was released in Europe on 28 July 2006. In March 2007, Sabaton released Metalizer as a double disc together with Fist for Fight, along with the previously unreleased song "Birds of War".