SABATON „Fists For Fight”

Music: Power Metal
Website: http://www.sabaton.net
Country: Sweden
Cool songs: Hellrider, Metalizer, Burn Your Crosses, Shadows

The very first official album is something special in the career of every artist or band. Nowadays it is very difficult to create something original, because the heavy metal scene is very big. Many bands appear only for a moment, record one or two CDs and disappear. SABATON – Swedish power metal group, managed to sell their skin expensively. Their debut album “Fists For Fight” is an original masterpiece. Moreover, this album released in 2000 and 2001 is unavailable, and will never be again. It was recorded in only 600 copies, and sold out immediately. This fact supports the previous statement, that this CD has something extraordinary in it. This was a good bait for fans of heavy play, thirst of new power.

When I played the disc in my machine, I was stunned. “Hellrider” is a powerful dose of pure power metal. And I really mean it. Brodén’s vocal is heavy, fleshy, a mixture of very low voice and growl – sometimes really incomprehensible. It is becoming to look as some kind of trend in singing (compare – LORDI). Is it bad? I do not know, but singers should not overdo. In case of boredom, because music fans can sometimes get tired of such howling. The CD starts heavily and this feeling stays with the listener till the end of it (not including the bonus track – Guten Nacht, instrumental track, very poetic). “Metalizer”, “Burn Your Crosses” and “Shadows” are the essence of metal contained in this piece of plastic. What is more – Brodén playing the keyboards did a fantastic job. The keyboard parts sound so brilliant, create appropriate mood (sometimes they sound as those known from RHAPSODY). If it had not been for that, this album would not have sounded so good (“Burn…” and “Hail To The King”). Thanks to this addition, those songs gain another dimension. And the powerful and juicy riffs show that Sundem and Montelius are great craftsmen. It seems that the musicians had good time while making those songs – the intro to “Metalizer” is “out of this disc”. You’ll know what I mean when you hear it. And the “Shadows” – a phenomena. I have heard many songs based on Tolkien’s Master Of The Rings, but never such one. The Nazguls are its content, although it sometimes sounds, as if it was played by a pack of Halflings. It sounds… happy! Only the intro played on organ and the lyrics bring the dark climate. Some sort of Transylvanian mood. But the rest of the songs gets away from it, miles away. And that is fantastic.

It is visible, that the band is working upon its style. The compositions vary (one ballad – “The Hammer Has Fallen”) on the level of sound and lyrics. And the last track – “Masters Of The World” – sounds like a musical joke. Great sending – metal will never die – surrounded by musical hybrid of pop, rock and metal.

Such CD is a kind of treasure. Great beginning for someone new on the stage. I hope, that they will manage to keep on going this way and develop in good direction.

note: 7/10

Tracklist

1. Introduction
2. Hellrider
3. Endless Nights
4. Metalizer
5. Burn Your Crosses
6. The Hammer Has Fallen
7. Hail To The King
8. Shadows
9. Thunderstorm
10. Masters Of The World
11. Guten Nacht

Total playing time 41:32

Line-up

Joakim Brodén – vocals
Rickard Sundén – guitars
Oskar Montelius – guitars
Pär Sundström – bass
Daniel Mullback – drums