At GMM2010 Sabaton not only blew our socks off; their signing session later that day generated one of the longest queues ever at GMM. Since then, the Swedish panzer battalion has continued its perennial conquest of the world’s biggest stages. At GMM2019, they blew our minds with the concept album ‘The Great War’. It marked the band’s 20th anniversary and expanded their historical heavy metal formula with even more bombast and cinematic scope. The album was accompanied by an extensive world tour, complete with an elaborate stage production featuring barbed wire, trenches and a tank-shaped drum riser. In 2022 they followed up with ‘The War to End All Wars’, again focusing on World War I but diving deeper into lesser-known stories. Musically it continued their blend of power metal drive and arena-sized choruses. Since their last appearance here, they’ve unleashed ‘Legends’ (2025), with epic tales of legendary heroes and conquest. Sabaton have cemented their status as one of the most successful modern European metal bands and their shows remain a masterclass in crowd engagement. (#GMM26)
