Metalizer was actually Sabaton's first album, originally slated for release in 2002, but their label at the time sat on the release, and the band moved on to other things. Black Lodge acquired the rights to the album, now being released in a very nicely done digipak, and including the band's demo Fist For Fight on a bonus disc. Most of the songs on the demo are on the album, so this review only addresses Metalizer.
Unlike Primo Victoria and Attero Dominatus, it took me a few listens to get into Metalizer. Not that it's bad by any means, but the style here is a little more sober and slightly darker than on the other two albums. Most of the ingredients that made these albums loved by many are there - catchy riffs and melodies, fist-pumping anthems and the distinctive gruffy vocals, just to name those. While the aforementioned albums focus almost exclusively on a war thematic, Metalizer is more diversified, with a few metal-worshiping anthems, a few fantasy-themed songs, and as a bonus an interesting cover of Judas Priest's "Jawbreaker", which definitely sounds different, this singer having a style entirely different from Halford's signature high-pitched vocals. The traditional Heavy Metal sound also predominates the Power Metal elements on this release, although you can hear a good dose of the style used on the two albums that would follow, including a very noticeable use of keyboards, but Sabaton has this way of making keyboards sound heavy and powerful and making them fit right on - the songs probably wouldn't sound as catchy and powerful without this added ingredient (you'll rarely hear me say that.) One could go on and on about this album, and frankly I'm not into long-winded reviews, so let's put it this way: This is yet another powerful, catchy, fist-in-the-air, metal-to-the-bone release by Sabaton that makes the listener feel good and invigorated, no matter whether they're singing about fairies or war. Mandatory for fans of the genre.
