Sweden's Power Metal powerhouse, Sabaton, is back with album #7 of war-themed, crunchy songs, Heroes. The band has been fairly consistent throughout their career, with a few minor ups and downs. Heroes represents one of the ups and is easily as good as its predecessor, Carolus Rex, in sound and songwriting. I really enjoyed Carolus Rex but Heroes is bigger than life with opening track, "Night Witches" just blasting out of the speakers. I don't know how they did it, but this album is just LOUD.
If you're familiar with the band's past works you'll be happy to know the tried-and-true formula they've employed in the past remains the foundation on which Heroes is built; crunchy guitars, just the right amount of keyboards and vocalist Joachim Broden's distinctive gravelly voice. Other than the speedy opener, songs like "No Bullets Fly" and "Resist and Bite" are fist-in-the-air anthems that should have you singing along in no time. Broden and crew take a couple of risks, with some working and some not. "To Hell and Back" features a keyboard melody that should make any fan of Eastwood's "Man With No Name" movies sit up and take notice. The Ennio Morricone-inspired sound will have you walking the Spanish desert with the "good," the "bad" and the "ugly." On the other hand, the ballad, "The Legend of Bull," while an inspiring story of personal bravery, is too heavy-handed.
Even with a couple of weak spots (the closer, "Hearts of Iron" isn't particularly enthralling), Heroes is another winner for Sabaton and fans of Germanic Power Metal.
