Review: Sabaton - Legends - ROCKPOSER DOT COM

Review: Sabaton – Legends

Better Noise Music (October 17^th, 2025)

Reviewer – Jason Hopper

I have been a Sabaton loyalist for over two decades. A close friend of mine introduced me to them with 2010’s ‘Coat of Arms‘ and I was immediately taken by their power and passion. They LOVE metal and history equally. That album remains my favorite of theirs. While I think several of their albums are superb, namely ‘Attero Dominatus‘ and ‘The Great War‘, I found other albums to be a bit spotty. Every album had some great tracks, but some had songs that I never truly connected with.

This brings me to their latest opus, ‘Legends‘. You could tell by the title alone that the band has chosen to focus on individuals whose stories have carried on hundreds of years. Joan of Arc, Napoleon Bonaparte, Julius Caesar, the Crusades, and more are all covered. Would this be a future classic or another album with just a few great tracks? I’m happy to report this album is a MONSTER! and one of the best albums the band has released.

All the singles that have been released thus far were terrific, but I was holding out hope that the band wasn’t releasing all of their best stuff to entice listeners. Turns out they have not, with several non-singles being some of my favorite tracks from the band.

So what makes this album special? It is more groove based than other albums that rely on mainly power metal riffage. It has a balance of varying rhythms that complement each other making for a well-paced release. It never seems to meander too long with one melody, with songs faster and slower spread out. When you’re ready to slow the pace a bit, the next song answers the call. This is followed by a track that goes full throttle to kick your ass.

With several singles released, it would be better time spent on tracks people have yet to hear, but one caveat. I was disappointed to find that the single version of ‘Crossing The Rubicon’, featuring the band NothingMore, is not a bonus track. The album track features only Sabaton. While Sabaton has always had great background vocals, I found the choral chants from the combination of both bands to be a bit more powerful.

I’ll go straight to one song that is not just my favorite on the album, but one of my favorite from their extensive catalog, ‘The Cycle of Songs’. Destined to be a future classic, the track relies on the E string to create a rhythmic groove that is traditionally heavy metal. The “secret sauce” to the song is something the band is not known for but is an element in many of their best songs, the keyboard. The key strikes ride over the melody and match the choral vocals, making for an explosive chorus that is destined to be sung loud and proud at their shows. A similar key structure is found in single ‘Crossing The Rubicon’. If you like that track, you get the same arrangement here.

‘A Tiger Among Dragons’ slows things down a bit at just the right time in the album and has a huge drum sound. According to the press release, the entire band had a say in the creation of this album. If I had to guess, most of the ideas from this song came from drummer Hannes Van Dahl. He’s all over his set, creating a tribal rhythm that’s unique from any other track. The snare/cymbal strikes that match singer Joakim Brodén’s words in the chorus is perfect, making for that unmistakable Sabaton sound that no other band can match.

Finally, ‘Maid of Steel’ is perfectly placed in between two heavy, but slower tempo songs. One audible breath from Joakim and the track takes off like a shotgun blast! It’s power metal at its finest and a template the band have mastered at this point. Its placement on the album gives it the kick in the ass it needed. Don’t misunderstand, I love Sabaton’s heavy, slower melodies, but this track breaks up the album at the right time.

A few minor issues with the album. While Sabaton has a sound that is all their own, their songs are diverse and not derivative of what they had previously released. ‘Lightning at the Gates’ was the first time I heard a song from them that seemed a carbon copy of what came before. The song is essentially a reworking of ‘Uprising’, one of my favourites off ‘Coat of Arms‘. It’s a good song just way too similar.

The weakest track is closer ‘Till Seger’. It’s the only track not sung in English plus has a Celtic vibe that makes it unique, but unremarkable. Celtic elements in metal does nothing for me in terms of enjoyment. Perhaps Europeans, and fans in Ireland, will gravitate towards this more.

I have been blessed with a son who loves a lot of the music that I’m into. He was thrilled when we both got to see Sabaton open for Judas Priest in 2024. He listened to the new album with me and agreed that it was one of their best. I’ve had ‘Legends‘ for about a week and have played it multiple times a day, even pushing aside other albums I had to review to make time to hear it again and again. It has staying power, which a lot of albums have difficulty with, in an age where there is so much music flooding the market.

If you are a fan, this is a day one purchase. If you’re unfamiliar with most or all their material, this is a great starting point. Power metal does not get much better than this. A contender for album of the year.