“He is crossing the Rubicon/Heading home to where he belong/Born to rule it alone, the glory of Rome/He is crossing the Rubicon/Over the river at last, the die has been cast!” Now that’s an epic lyric right there. How much more epic can you get than ‘Crossing the Rubicon’?
Well, if you ask Swedish power metal icons Sabaton, they’re the perfect teachers. They continue to bring history to life, not through the dry textbooks students get in school, but by diving straight to the heart and soul of the stories on their eleventh studio album, Legends.
Released on the Better Noise Music label, Legends is as powerful, operatic, symphonic, and packed with towering sing-along choruses as anything Sabaton have created throughout their 27-year career since forming in 1999.
The album explores legendary figures and historic events through multiple stories, including the Crusades, Genghis Khan’s invasions, the Knights Templar, Joan of Arc, Lu Bu, Napoleon Bonaparte, and the rise of the Swedish Empire under Gustavus Adolphus from 1611 to 1632.
As I’ve said before, Sabaton have done their homework from top to bottom. Whether this approach moves you or not, you have to give the band credit for transporting listeners into these pivotal moments in history.
Listening to Legends feels like walking through an open doorway into the past, witnessing these events unfold firsthand. The sadness, sacrifice, and determination that defined Joan of Arc’s mission to save France during the Hundred Years’ War come alive in the galloping, tragic power of ‘Maid of Steel’.
You feel Joakim Brodén’s commanding vocals, the twin-guitar leads and crushing riffs delivered by Thobbe Englund and Chris Rörland, and the relentless machine-gun double bass drumming from Hannes Van Dahl. Together, they place the listener directly into Joan’s story, leaving behind the life of a peasant to embrace mortal danger, don heavy armor, and march onto the battlefield.
Meanwhile, the thunderous choir and sweeping orchestration of ‘Templar’ capture both the glory and the inevitable downfall of the Knights Templar, setting the stage for their tragic decline. Between ‘Impaler’ and ‘Lightning at the Gates,’ Sabaton charge forward with swords raised and larger-than-life fantasy imagery, sailing across the seas aboard mighty ships.
The spirit of Ronnie James Dio is unmistakable here, particularly the influence of his 1983 solo debut Holy Diver. It’s easy to imagine Dio himself smiling at how Sabaton continue to carry that legacy forward. Blending sea shanty melodies, grand classical choirs, and blistering metal guitars, the band once again proves they know exactly what they’re doing.
When ‘The Duelist’ arrives, it channels the spirit of Iron Maiden’s first two albums, with Sabaton proudly carrying the flaming torch of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. They keep that fire burning bright while ‘The Cycle of Songs’ revs its engines like a pack of motorcycles preparing for battle. It’s a rallying cry to fight for your city, your family, and your life, knowing you’ll go out in a blaze of glory during yet another operatic metal tour de force.
Whether it moves you or not, Legends is a powerful, in-your-face album that demands repeated listens. With every spin, Sabaton’s passion for history becomes more immersive, inviting listeners to dig deeper into the stories behind the music. It’s another triumphant chapter in the band’s catalog, one that proves history can be just as thrilling as any battlefield anthem when Sabaton are the ones telling the story.
