After years of relentless touring, Swedish metal giants Sabaton are finally starting to see their efforts pay off in the United States. During a recent appearance on “The Mistress Carrie Podcast,” lead vocalist Joakim Brodén opened up about the band’s growing footprint in North America, the stark differences between the U.S. and European festival scenes, and the cultural reasons behind Scandinavia’s booming metal export.
While Sabaton routinely headlines massive arenas and open-air festivals across Europe, their North American shows are still playing catch-up. Brodén acknowledged the disparity in crowd sizes but noted that the band embraces the challenge.
“I’m happy about it mostly, actually. We’re still a bit behind. The largest [venue] capacities [that we will play] in North America [on our upcoming tour] is gonna be about five thousand while we do largest in Europe is gonna be about 25 [thousand]. But it still keeps us on our toes. And it’s natural. I mean, we’re a European band. We started out touring here pretty early and we didn’t start touring the U.S. until 2011 for the first time. So it took us a while. And it’s a different market. You don’t have the same vibe with festivals with classic metal as we do in Europe. So it’s easier, I think. So it’s easier for European fans, in a way, to discover new metal bands because every country or every city, it feels like, has a medium-sized rock festival where any band from, basically, black metal to heavy metal can play,” he said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth).
When podcast host Mistress Carrie pointed out that American festivals are often rigidly segmented by specific subgenres, Brodén agreed. He explained that the biggest hurdle in the U.S. isn’t necessarily winning over the fans, but rather convincing music industry executives that traditional heavy metal still draws a crowd.
“Yeah, absolutely,” he said. “[There are] lots of crossover festivals, but also the spectrum for what’s considered a heavy metal festival of what bands are invited. If you are doing a lot of American festivals, that market, if you will, is locked for a band like us unless you’ve achieved a certain size, because… And here’s the funny thing: it’s not about the fans. It’s sometimes the business itself, it feels like that: ‘No, no, no, no. That’s not gonna work in America.’ And then when the fans actually discover that band — it might not only be us ’cause we’re not the only band who’s experienced this transition that, ‘Oh, why haven’t I never heard of these guys before?’ Well, a lot of us have tried, but getting through the noise in the U.S. … But it is also because you have a lot of your own bands [who] are amazing and it’s a hard competition, but there’s also that wall of fighting your way through the business, because enough people think classical hard, rock, metal, power, metal, and that genre’s dead and gone, pretty much. Which is weird because Metallica is probably the biggest one of them all.”
Expanding on the difficulties traditional metal bands face worldwide, Brodén noted that the genre is still widely ignored by the mainstream press.
“Yeah, well, it’s less prominent in mass media. I mean, rock radio sure has it — absolutely — but in general mass media, I think there’s still some sort of stigma related to being a metal band for enough people on the planet for this to matter. I mean, not if you’re in Finland, obviously, because heavy metal is mainstream there. But in most places of the world.”
Given the sheer volume of successful metal bands hailing from Northern Europe, the conversation naturally shifted to why the region is such a breeding ground for the genre. For Brodén, the answer lies in a combination of harsh winters and supportive cultural environments.
“Yeah, we’ve been asking that as well. I mean, the amount of heavy metal bands per capita in Scandinavia is pretty damn high. And I don’t know why, really. But at least in the days before… well, everybody had a social media computer. I mean, computers we had, obviously, but growing up it was dark and cold during the winter. When you woke up, it was dark. When it’s three o’clock in the afternoon, it gets dark again. So what do you do in the winter? You don’t wanna be outside when it’s negative 32 or 35 or something like that. So you learn an instrument. … And [it’s] not only the weather — the culture, the people around you, all of these things are gonna affect your music. I mean, what was the popular music being played to you sort of when you grew up? Obviously, it seems like Scandinavian music is quite popular internationally for some reason, and I have no idea why, but I’m thankful.”
Earlier in January, Sabaton have announced the postponement of their upcoming North American tour, citing the need for bassist Pär Sundström to recover from “inflammation” affecting his arms.
The tour had been set to begin on February 9 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with dates scheduled across the United States and Canada. The itinerary included major markets such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and Boston, before concluding on April 20 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Pop Evil and Wings of Steel were slated to provide support on the run.
Sabaton shared an official statement addressing the decision on January 29, via their social media channels, saying:
“Dear friends in the USA and Canada, unfortunately we have to postpone our North American tour.”
“Pär is currently dealing with inflammation in his arms, and after seeking medical advice, he’s been told to rest for now so he can properly heal. Performing on stage means everything to us, but health must come first.”
“We are genuinely sorry for the inconvenience and disappointment this causes. We’re already working hard to secure new dates.”
“We were so excited to see you all, and that excitement hasn’t gone anywhere. We’re looking forward to the moment we can finally step on those stages!”
“Thank you for your patience, your love and your constant support. It means the world to us!”
“For now, please keep hold of your tickets. You will receive an e-mail notification from the official point of sale as soon as the status of the event changes or a new date is announced. Please note, the summer shows in Europe are not affected by this!”
“We’ll be back soon, stronger than ever.”
“Pär, Joakim, Hannes, Chris, Thobbe“.
