The Swedish tank loving squadron in Sabaton have once again deployed their forces on the Western Front, bringing us more stories of atrocities and miracles from the frontlines of a century defining war. Opening the album with the event that started it all in Sarajevo, Serbia and closing in Versailles, France, where an infamous treaty would lead us into a second World War. The War To End All Wars is the second Sabaton album to focus solely on one conflict and follows up 2019’s epic The Great War. The signature high-intensity Sabaton brand of heavy metal is juxtaposed once again with narratives of harrowing yet epic tales of real-life military battles and the brave men and women who lived them. The Swedish storytellers have an innate ability to capture these events with pounding drums and moving, triumphant melodies that will have you fist pumping like Joakim Brodén at Wacken Open Air.
This is the band’s second visit to WWI as they believed that there were many stories left untold on The Great War. With that in mind, The War To End All Wars simultaneously feels like a sequel and prequel to The Great War, as it explores the war’s origin and conclusion with everything in-between in an explosive and powerful manner. One thing is for certain though, is that Sabaton deliver intense riffs, pounding artillery style drums, virtuosic solos and catchy melodies that snipe their way into your brain from the barrel of Francis Pegahmagabow’s (see ‘Ghost In The Trenches’) rifle, destined to be lodged there forever. Yet, there is an added element of darkness with this album, as the eternal question of “Can a war really end all wars?” is echoed continuously in the album’s closing track ‘Versailles’. With mighty, mounting synths and powerful choirs, you can feel the thunder of war encompassing you. Even though conceptually it covers serious subjects, there is a great deal of fun to be had with this album. Sabaton have always been a band to enjoy what they do, and go wholeheartedly into it, even though in some areas it fees like cheesy power metal, you can’t help but get wrapped up in the band’s rousing choruses and triumphant riffs.
Some of stories told on this album are ones that are even more obscured by the passage of time than those on The Great War. One that stands out is ‘Lady In The Dark’, which follows the story of Milunka Savić, who took her brother’s place in the Serbian army and went on to become one of the most decorated soldiers of the war. Alongside her sits the remarkable story of Belgian-Irish born, British Lieutenant-General Sir Adrian Paul Ghislain Carton de Wiart, who became known as ‘The Unkillable Soldier’. He survived wounds to his left eye, skull, hip, leg, stomach, ankle and ear, and numerous plane crashes, yet kept fighting. ‘Soldier Of Heaven’ highlights the events that unfolded on White Friday. During the Italian Front of World War I, an avalanche struck Austro-Hungarian barracks on Mount Marmolada, killing 270 soldiers and allegedly their bodies still remain there. As well as song dedicated to the infamous Harlem Hellfighters, the 369th Infantry Regiment of the US Army made up of African American and Pueto Rican soldiers.
As always with Sabaton, There is a significantly large volume of things to unpack with The War To End All Wars that couldn’t be covered in one review, but there is an indelible poignance to this album alongside the heavy metal fun. Sabaton once again pique your interest in history with compelling, harrowing and exciting stories collected, researched and delivered with genuine passion. As one of the most successful metal bands of a generation, they have once again hit the bullseye with another hugely triumphant album.