Chicago Surrenders To Sabaton [REVIEW]
Photos © 2021 by: Roman Sobus / Review by: Dennis M. Kelly
It was an evening of fist-raising, head banging and screaming at the top of your lungs, high-energy Heavy Metal release as the Rosemont Theatre hosted Judas Priest’s 50 Heavy Metal Years with their special guest, Sabaton supporting.
Sweden’s Sabaton took to the stage straight away at 7:30 hitting the audience hard with their song “Ghost Division” off of their 2008 album, The Art Of War (later re-released as The Art of War – Re-Armed). This band is a fine-tuned killing machine when it comes to delivering a Metal concert.. very professional, very polished and dedicated to their loyal fans who’ve grown considerably over the years. Speaking of killing machines, you know the band is serious about killing it on stage when they bring their own tank (drum riser) on stage! It looked quite impressive and could quite possibly be one of the best Heavy Metal drum risers I’ve ever seen!
![Chicago Surrenders To Sabaton [REVIEW] 1](https://chicagomusicguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Sabaton-Fans-500-.jpg)
The audience age range for this show was quite varied for your typical Metal show, with some children in attendance as well as older folks, like myself, who’ve been around for most of Judas Priest’s career, or longer, however, it was definitely more male audience members than female, for sure.
Since the band is most known throughout Europe, the band consists of, Joakim Brodén/Vocals; Pär Sundström/Bass; Chris Rörland/Guitar; Tommy Johansson/Guitar; Hannes Van Dahl/Drums and they work together very well as a whole unit on stage, equally covering each end of the stage, everyone contributes vocally, and they were all very personable on stage; you really get a good sense of them personally just by their lighthearted demeanor on stage. At one point, Chris and Tommy proceeded to stick their guitar pics to Joakim’s head; pretty funny! Did you know that you can sign up on their website for the opportunity to meet them after their show?.
Check out our live gallery to see the photos from this show here!
Joakim polled the audience for anyone who had any Swedish blood in them which generated a fairly enthusiastic response with one individual being quizzed on his Swedish; which he passed. His prize? Having “Swedish Pagans” dedicated to him! Not too bad, eh?
If high-energy Metal music is your thing, definitely give Sabaton a listen, or make sure to catch their set live, they have all the elements a metalhead could ever hope for in a live concert, songs of historical warfare, shredding guitars, and a bass and drum combo that, especially during “Steel Commanders” reached higher decibels than Judas Priest did for their whole set, it was [that] intense!
Have you seen the video for “Steel Commanders”? If features an equally talented musician in her own right, Tina Guo who we’ve featured on Chicago Music Guide a few times before. Check out the video here:
Setlist:
Ghost Division
The Last Stand
Swedish Pagans
The Red Baron
Bismark
Defence of Moscow
Carolus Rex
Fields of Verdun
Primo Victoria (bouncy tune)
Steel Commanders
To Hell And Back
Biography:
In the nearly two decades since their launch, Swedish metallers Sabaton have carved out a reputation as one of the hardest working bands in the business – gaining a legion of loyal fans across the globe, delivering eight highly-rated studio albums (including two certified platinum-sellers), and scoring multiple industry award wins and nominations… not to mention launching their own annual festival and cruise.
Combining soaring power riffs with vocalist Joakim Brodén’s instantly-recognizable gruff baritone, the band refuses to be simply slotted into a genre. Fans need only know them as Sabaton: the heavy metal band that sings of real life wars and the people who played a part in them – of grueling campaigns and dazzling acts of bravery, of magnificent victories and touching personal struggles – true stories more fantastic than any fiction.
Sabaton are perhaps best known for their electrifying live concerts, combining accomplished musical performances and a finely-crafted stage show – including their full-sized tank drum-riser – with energy and laughter. The band has headlined as far afield as North America, Australia and Japan, and regularly fills arenas and takes top-billed slots at festivals across Europe.
Fresh from a long bout of touring, the band is looking forward to a number of festival appearances this summer before returning to the studio to work on their next project.
Tour Dates:
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Links:
Sabaton:
Official: https://www.sabaton.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sabaton/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sabaton
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sabatonofficial/
Tina Guo:
Official: http://tinaguo.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TinaGuo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tinaguo
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tinaguo/
Rosemont Theatre:
Official: https://rosemont.com/theatre/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RosemontTheatre
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RosemontTheatre
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosemonttheatre/
Live Nation:
Official: https://www.livenation.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LiveNation
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LiveNationIL
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livenationil/
Roman Sobus:
Official: https://www.romansobus.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/romansobusphotography
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/romansobus/