Sabaton – Coat of Arms

site | label | buy

After the excellent reception The Art of War received, and the manic touring activity the band undertook to support it, another new album in under two years is no surprise as the band push forward to make the most of their new-found popularity. Following their usual formula we have songs here about the Nazi’s ethnic cleansing (The Final Solution), the battles of Midway (Midway) and Britain (Aces of Exile), the Warsaw Uprising (Uprising) and various other people and moments of historical military importance, just as on all of their other albums. It seems they have now reached the stage in their career where the specific battles and historic events they sing about are irrelevant because it’s all been heard before. Up to and including The Art of War Sabaton were refining their sound, and with that album they reached a peak in both their music and their popularity. Inevitably after an album like that a band can either about-face and change their sound in a big way, or make more of the same to capitalise on the acclaim. Sabaton have chosen the latter and Coat of Arms is little more than a less-immediate The Art of War. They’ve even closed it with yet another song in tribute to metal music in Metal Ripper, including name checks and snippets of songs by Judas Priest (the intro from The Ripper), AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne and several more. And it’s as generic as it sounds. One for the fans, but for their own progress they need to do more.

Written by Andy Lye
More: 2010, Albums, Power Metal, Quick.Play Reviews, Sabaton