02.08.2013 Sabaton

Wacken Open Air XXIV

Wacken (Germany)

(Pentax K-5 with Sigma AF 70-200mm 2.8 EX DC APO HSM II)

It was still very warm but due to the slowly setting sun not that hot anymore when the guys of Sabaton under deafening cheers entered the stage. With their power-metal singing about historic battles they are having success across the whole of Europe.
So this evening it was Wacken that should be enthused. First only Europe's "The Final Countdown" was playing, otherwise nothing more was happening. When the last tones of that hymn were passed Sabaton entered the stage and with lots of pressure singer Joakim Broden directly started with the opener "The March To War". His remarkable rough voice with the rolling R is one of the trademarks of the band just as its bombastic sound is. The gig was not only formed by songs of the current album "Carolus Rex" being about historic Swedish happenings but was a cross section through their so far released albums. Very impressive was the fact that drummer Snowy Shaw although he had a broken toe was sitting behind his drumset and nobody could recognize this. Because of this already big Kudos! Not only the namegiving track of the album was played but also "Gott Mit Uns" and the "Carolean Prayer" (the last one also in its Swedish version).
Between the songs Broden always had a small chat with the audience wheras you could quite fast hear the shouts "Noch ein Bier!". Joakim explained to the crowd that the Germans are crazy. Everywhere the people were shouting "Sabaton!" only here always "Noch ein Bier!" was shouted. So he got a bottle and emptied it in one gulp. Only further requests to have another one he refused by saying that this would not be a good idea as he was getting drunk quite fast and afterwards would get naked to sing the songs. During the concert another visitor could be very happy as Joakim exchanged his vest with identical looking one of the visitor (Joakim mentioned that he absolutely needed a new one).
There has also been more music. To repeating pyro effects and wild actions of the two guitarists Chris Rörland and Thobbe Englund Broden ran across the stage like crazy. In front of that the crowd was completely enthused and sang not only hymns like the legendary "Primo Victoria" loudly along.
What should I say about the concert? A terrific show. The band really jivey (the crazy ones afterwards wrote autographs until 3 in the morning so that everybody had the opportunity to get one). Awsome sound and a great atmosphere. For me they were one of the highlights of the Wacken 2013 and absolutely lived up their name.