Sabaton bassist Pär Sundström has explained why the band, which is world-renowned for its songs about military history, will not be writing about any current, ongoing conflicts. In a new interview, he stated that the band makes a clear distinction between “history” and “current events,” primarily because anything happening now is “so politically charged.”
Speaking with Riff X’s “Metal XS” podcast, Sundström was asked if the band would ever consider shifting its lyrical focus to modern-day wars.
“No, we wouldn’t do that, because we still write about military history, not military conflicts, and anything that happening and unfolding at the moment would be so politically charged,” he responded. “And we like to stay away from politics.”
He explained that the band’s focus on military history was a natural fit for their sound from the very beginning, inspired by their own metal heroes.
“The other types of history do not really fit so well into heavy metal. I mean, first and foremost, we are a heavy metal band,” he said. “We aren’t the first one to do so. One of my favorite bands would be Iron Maiden, and they did it long before us… And 25 years later, we are still doing it.”
He also added that, tragically, they will never be short on material. “Unfortunately, the world has been a very violent place, and still continues to be. So we’re not gonna run out of topics to sing about, unfortunately,” he said.
Sundström‘s comments come as Sabaton has just released their new album, Legends, on Better Noise Music. The new record fits their historical focus perfectly, diving into the stories of legendary figures like Jeanne D’arc (Joan of Arc), Hannibal, Genghis Khan, Vlad the Impaler, and Julius Caesar.
The new album also marks a major internal milestone for the band, as it is the “very first time that every Sabaton bandmember has come together to contribute to the songwriting process.”
