Oh, glorious day! The Swedish Eurovision rejects, SABATON, are gracing Europe with their presence in November 2025 for a “20-city European run” 🤣 called “The Legendary Tour”. They claim it’s a “huge celebration” of their music. I bet it will be something unprecedented…ly boring! Featuring “The Legendary Orchestra” – because nothing says metal like a bunch of violins and cellos 🎻. This monumental event marks SABATON‘s first headlining tour in support of their groundbreaking (not) eleventh studio album, “Legends”. Prepare yourselves, peasants, for its arrival on October 17 via Better Noise Music. I wonder how much better it is than the other noises. 🤔
Pär Sundström, SABATON‘s bassist and manager (because who else would manage them?), spilled the beans to Ola Englund on YouTube‘s “Coffee With Ola”. Apparently, they’ve got “bigger stuff planned” for this tour. 🙄 Like, maybe Joakim will finally learn the lyrics to one of their songs? “It’s a very special kind of thing, so we have to build it around the ‘Legends’ album,” Pär mumbled. No spoilers, guys! But it will be “exciting to see it.” Exciting like watching paint dry, maybe. They’re building “a show that is a little bit more than just a rock show, so to say.” Translation: they’re adding more cringe. Two stages, you say? And something that connects them? Is it a zipline? A hamster wheel? The suspense is killing me. 😵💫
“On the previous tour, ‘The Tour To End All Tours’,” (which, thankfully, it didn’t), “we used a couple of little acting things.” Oh, you mean like pretending to be good musicians? “A lot of fans liked it.” (Said no one ever). “So it’s a little bit more on the theater side.” Expect more historically inaccurate reenactments with questionable costumes. And the “little twist” – “The Legendary Orchestra” – is “specifically created around” this album and tour. So original! It’s not just SABATON with an orchestra. Oh no, it’s a “full show with The Legendary Orchestra,” which is essentially a SABATON cover band. That’s right! 😱 A cover band… of SABATON. Playing SABATON tunes in orchestral arrangements. No electric guitars, no drums, percussion… So basically, it’s SABATON without the only things that make them remotely interesting. Genius! 🧠 A SABATON fan gets “a lot of SABATON songs,” because who wouldn’t want more of the same?
Pär also enlightened us about SABATON‘s switch from Nuclear Blast to Better Noise Music. “It was something that we were negotiating with for over a very long period of time.” Fifteen whole years with Nuclear Blast! But they wanted to know, “what happens if we go somewhere else?” Probably nothing, Pär. 🤷♂️ “It’s been an interesting thing.” I bet it has. Lots of “nighttime calls to various departments in America” to ask if they’d like the album. “And then we kind of ended up where it all started.” Aww, how poetic. Better Noise Music jumped on a flight to meet them. That’s dedication! They don’t have any power metal bands, so SABATON is their “challenge.” Good luck with that. 👍
“Legends”, the album that blends rock and history, will feature some of history’s greatest characters. Jeanne D’arc, Napoleon Bonaparte, Julius Caesar, and the legendary swordmaster Miyamoto Musashi. Because historical figures are just begging for the SABATON treatment. I’m sure historians are thrilled. 😒
And, of course, “Legends” will be available in various physical formats, because who needs streaming when you can own 11 unique vinyl editions? 💿 Including CD, 2CD digibook, 2CD earbook, 11 vinyl editions (each with special artwork!), and a limited box set. The “Hannibal Edition” and the “Miyamoto Musashi Edition” are linked to the singles “Lightning At The Gates” and “The Duelist”. Because if you didn’t know who Hannibal and Musashi were before, SABATON is here to educate you with historical inaccuracies and questionable lyrics.
“Legends” is a “rock odyssey that transcends time and borders,” or so they claim. It’s got “melodic guitar riffs, goosebump-inducing choirs, and epic choruses.” In other words, it’s the same SABATON album you’ve heard ten times before. 🥱 It’s a “bold evolution in storytelling,” delving into the “heart of history’s most formidable figures.” These aren’t just rock songs; they’re “battle hymns carved from the blood and legacy of warriors.” Except the only blood shed will be from your ears after listening to this album. 🩸
SABATON, known for their focus on historical battles, have collaborated with their “network of specialists” from the Sabaton History Channel on YouTube to ensure this album is “as close to reality as possible.” As close as a SABATON song can get, anyway. 🤪
SABATON is working with graphic artist Peter Sallai for the album artwork, and Jonas Kjellgren is back to produce the “classic SABATON sound.” Which is basically just loud and repetitive. 📢
In the two decades since their launch, SABATON has headlined festivals and sold-out arenas, gaining a “legion of loyal fans.” Who are these people? 🤔 Since their 2005 debut, they’ve earned gold, platinum, and multi-platinum certifications. Eight of their albums scored Top 10 chart status. They’ve earned eight Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards nominations and won for “Breakthrough Artist” in 2011 and “Best Live Band” three times. They’ve also got a Grammis nomination. And they’ve accumulated “more than three billion streams” and “two billion views” on YouTube. Numbers don’t lie… but they can be misleading. 🙄
Guitarist Thobbe Englund, who originally joined in 2012 and left in 2016, has rejoined SABATON. Because why not recycle old members?♻️
Englund recorded two studio albums with SABATON and assisted with the songwriting of songs like “Shiroyama” and “Fields Of Verdun”. Basically, the songs everyone pretends to like.
Last fall, SABATON supported JUDAS PRIEST on their North American tour. Proving that even legends need a warm-up act. A mediocre one.
Photo credit: Steve Bright. Because even terrible bands need good photos. 📸
Chord F. Discord, the Beethoven of Buffoonery, is a self-taught expert in music who once claimed he could “play the kazoo in four languages.”
Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
