Review Summary: Be excellent to each other, metalheads
The die is cast: Sabaton’s 11th album has crossed the Rubicon. The Swedes’ cannons are out on the hunt — polished, gleaming, and ready for their most decisive battle yet. Their mission: to deliver the best record of their career. The operation’s codename? “Legends.” And as the 45-minute runtime unfolds, it becomes clear that for the determined Sabaton, nothing is impossible.
“Legends” is a heavy metal extravaganza on every level — flashy epic compositions, choral moments, cinematic atmosphere, and choruses built for arenas filled with thousands of raised fists. From the very first note of “Templars,” the listener is hit by Sabaton’s signature bombastic sound, now noticeably upgraded thanks to the return of guitarist Thobbe Englund. His presence rebalances the band’s tone and rekindles a dynamic we haven’t heard since “Heroes.”
At this point in their career, with a well-established sound and style, their biggest challenge is keeping things fresh. The secret lies in passion and professionalism — two qualities that Sabaton have in abundance. The album’s flow is remarkable; every track is perfectly placed to capture energy and keep our attention locked in.
The irresistibly upbeat “Hordes of Khan” — featuring an impressive video clip set in a museum where Genghis Khan’s hordes come to life — gives way to the punchy “A Tiger Among Dragons.” Out of nowhere, an old-school steel riff strikes like a surprise attack worthy of the Chinese warlord Lu Bu. In the addictive chorus of “Crossing the Rubicon,” we meet Julius Caesar, and a few songs later, we salute Napoleon in the dramatic “I, Emperor.”
For the record, this musical blockbuster from Sweden packs 11 songs dedicated to legendary historical figures from around the world — a brief departure from the World War themes of their recent albums. Each track feels like a wild historical ride, as if we’ve stepped into Bill and Ted’s phone booth to prepare our own history presentation!
Right at the heart of the album lies its sweetest, catchiest, yet roughest moment — dedicated to the heroic Joan of Arc. Finally, we get perfectly balanced guitar power from start to finish, never letting the melody fade. Destined to raise pulses on stage, the track flows into the darker “Impaler,” which slows the pace to pay tribute to the infamous bloodthirsty prince with the great fangs. The oriental melody reveals Sabaton’s strategy: every song not only tells a story but also sounds like the land it’s inspired by. The Swedes get fierce — and it suits them well. The slightly different vocal tone of the ever-steady Joakim Brodén fits perfectly in this journey through the Carpathians.
The time machine makes two final stops worth noting. The longest track, “The Cycle of Songs,” catches us off guard with its unmistakable aura of the 1980s Swedish hard rock/metal scene, while the closing “Till Seger” reminds us exactly why Sabaton have conquered the world — young and old alike. Their ability to write short, melodic, almost Eurovision-esque metal anthems is truly one of a kind.
Sabaton have definitely won the bet. “Legends” is by far their most entertaining album to date. Whether it’s their best remains to be seen — but one thing’s for sure: commercial metal is in safe hands as long as these ingenious Swedes keep creating new generations of metalheads with albums this fun and well-crafted.
