Year: 2022
Total Time: 45:14
Label: Nuclear Blast
If there is something positive that the pandemic left us as legacy is some great albums since all the artists ha to find a way to communicate with their fans and their songs were the only way. SABATON and their 10th full length album “The War to End All Wars” is the perfect example since their album was created as a byproduct of their previous album “The Great War”. They never intended to deal with WWI again. They only planned to release some singles (for example “Christmas Truce”) in order to boost their tour that got cancelled due to COVID-19.
SABATON is one of the most ambiguous bands of our time. At the same time it is one of the most successful of the 21st century and they have some very dedicated fans and sworn enemies. They have found a certain way to write their songs and it definitely works. Epic songs like war anthems, catchy lyrics suitable for endless sing-along, impressive production and lyrics that teaches us history (Broden is an amateur historian after all).
The album begins with “Serajevo” which is a narration by Bethan Dixon Bate of the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in Serajevo that triggered a series of events that led to the burst of WWI.
…From a shot that would change the world
Tensions rise and a war is unfurled
Nothing like what had come before
It’s the war that will end all war!…
Those events were unraveled in amazing speed. The same speed characterizes the next song of the album, “Stormtroopers” that refers to small German combat teams of soldiers that were very trained and capable. Classic speedy power metal song, exactly what could someone anticipate from SABATON.
…A glimpse of the future, new tactics in war
New doctrine in combat explored
As fast as lightning, there’s no time to mourn
A glimpse of the future and Blitzkrieg is born…
The next song is one of the best songs in the album and it’s called “Dreadnought”. Dreadnoughts were a type of battleships that the Germans used in one of the biggest naval combats of all times, the Battle of Jutland. It starts with the sound of the waves, carries on with an epic tune that leads to an amazing refrain.
…And their foes can’t believe their eyes, believe their size, as they fall,
And the dreadnoughts dread nothing at all…
“The Unkillable Soldier” is dedicated to Sir Adrian Carton De Wiart, an officer of the British army who during the war was injured 8 times in different parts of his body but every time he managed to return to the war front. Another classic SABATON song with speedy tune and a staccato feel.
…In the battles, when he was shot
Kept on fighting, and never stopped
In Arras, Cambrai, Passchendaele
Ignoring his wounds he prevailed…
“Soldier of Heaven” narrated the story of soldiers that fought on the Alpes and died during “White Friday” when a series of avalanches stroke Austian-hungarian and Italian military camps and killed almost 2.000 soldiers. This song reminded me of the disco metal that Beast in Black introduced to us. It is probably one of the songs that will be hated mostly from hardcore heavy metallers since it deviates from the classic metal music norms (even for a SABATON song).
…White Friday, I’ll take the
Stairway to heaven
I’m sky high, when I die
I’ll be immortal…
Next is “Hellfighters” that talks about the story of 369th battalion of mostly afroamerican and puertoricans soldiers. Their name was given to them by German troops since they had to spend 191 days in war front. It is a classic power metal song from the ‘90s with some powerful riffs.
…Hear the toll of the bell, kept fighting for 6 months in hell
As the war rages on, they fight at the edge of the Argonne…
The next song is a much too typical SABATON song called “The Race to the Sea” and works as a filler in the album. It refers to King’s Albert of Belgium decision to flood a large territory of his country to avoid losing it to the German troops. He fought side by side with his soldier till the end.
…For king and for country, we are flooding the river
Our stand at Yser will be, the end of the race to the sea
The last piece of Belgium’s free, we’re keeping a sliver
A cog in the war machine, October of 1914…
The next song is a fan inspired song since the “Lady of the Dark” is an idea from a Serbian SABATON supporter honoring the memory of Milunka Savic, a Serbian heroine who took her brother’s place in the war front and fought hard. Apart from a catchy refrain the song does not differentiate much from a classic SABATON song.
…Lied to be respected
And to change her brother’s fate
Took a bullet, earned her freedom
And a place among the stars…
The next song remains in Balkan Peninsula and takes us to Bulgaria and the Battle of Doiran where the inferior Bulgarian army managed to resist to British and Serbian forces. “Valley of Death” is one of the most entertaining songs of the album with nice solo, dynamic and fast pace and generally an ‘80s quality.
…Their attack is coming, fight them back
Bulgarians holding the line
Facing wave after wave, will never surrender…
The 10th song is probably the best (at least in my opinion) and is called “Christmas Truce”. It is the most melodic song of the album and describes a very touching moment of the war. It was 25th of December 1914 and German and British troops decided to make peace for the night, they met in no man’s land, exchanged gifts, played football and spend some peaceful hours. It stands out the piano and the choir. Also the video clip is absolutely touching and hair-raising.
…Today we’re all brothers
We drink and unite
Now Christmas has arrived and the snow turns the ground white…
The album closes exactly the way it opened…with the imposing voice of Bethan Dixon Bate describing to us the “Verailles” Treaty that put an end to the war leaving all wounds open…wounds that sooner than expected led to WWII…
…A fragile but hopeful peace falls upon the European continent
America returns to their shores
Russia turn to their own matters
And the British Empire disbands their colonial forces…
The SABATON’s enemies accuse them that most of their songs are alike. The same happens to “The War to End All Wars”. 11 songs that are dedicated to 11 different stories of WWI, short, comprehensive and epic. So, a follower of SABATON will definitely enjoy this album, no doubt. On the other side, the criticizers will not change their mind…and to be honest, I am not sure that the band is interested in making them change their mind.
Rating: 7,5 / 10
Editor: Kostas Boudoukos
Related Link: SABATON – Official Page
