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Bravery, Courage, heroism, fearlessness, valor, sacrifice: terms used to describe the fighters of history. The soldiers of history. Most will never have their story told. Some will live on in infamy.

Sabaton will not let these tale of die off. The band will have their stories retold in a way people do not forget. From the last stands for faith and culture, to the mastery of the art of  war, Sabaton brings history to the stage.

Sabaton is not like any band you ever heard of before. Compared to other music from the modern era it really sticks out. Why? Because it’s original. Their songs don’t revolve around the same thing every time. It not a underground rapper always rapping about money, sex, and drugs with a new beat every time. It not about some sad break up or desperate love story that’s so sad that I need to play them a song on the world’s smallest violin. No, Sabaton is different. They do what music was meant to to do – tell a story. Music throughout the ages, from the beginning of time to today, is telling a story. Sabaton knows this. So every song is a story that revolves around heroes and battles, which has a beginning, middle and end.

So I have been mentioning Sabaton a lot, and I hear you asking “Who is Sabaton?” Back in 1999, in Falun, Sweden, a group of  talented metal heads got signed by the Italian label Underground Symphony. They began their path to popularity. In 2005, they released their first studio album, Primo Victoria, or First Victory in latin. This album would go on to define Sabaton for the rest of their career. The songs told of battles and wars fought in history. The title track “Primo Victoria,” tells of the allied invasion of Normandy on D-Day. The album even has a song called “Metal Machine,” a rock song made up of lines used in other rock songs. Haven’t heard anything like that before, have you?

I not lying when I said I have learned a thing of two from this band. They may not have consistent “lessons,” but you can learn a thing or two. Tell me, do you know who Gustavus Adolphus is? What about the winged hussars that saved Christian Europe? What about the time when American and Germans fought the SS. There are thing you don’t know about that can be taught to you by songs, some you may like, so you may not.

Sabaton is not some edgy punk band or dark long-haired screamo. These guys are really fun. Just recently, lead singer Joakim Broden lost a bet with his band mates. Now he’s walking to their next gig 320 miles away.

Sabaton has had its fair share of band mates. Only two members have stayed since its creation. Bass player, Par Sundstrom and lead vocalist, Joakim Broden. Other than them, Sabaton has had around ten different members. They have switched drummer four times, and both guitars were replaced around 2012.  The group has won 8 different awards in the course of 3 years. In 2011, they won the best breakthrough band by Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards, and two years later they were awarded The year’s best hard rock/metal band. IN two year they went from breakout to the year’s best.

Since the release of Primo Victoria, Sabaton has released several more albums, six of which revolve around war stories, and all of which usually revolve around a certain topic or concept. The album Heroes, revolves around acts of courage in war. Their 2012 album, Carolus Rex,  revolves around the Swedish Empire, representing home. Their newest album, The Last Stand, well, you don’t have to think hard about what it’s about. Sabaton doesn’t care who … it’s about to tell a story that might be forgot and never taught in school. When you think about it they’re the real Schoolhouse Rock. There the greatest history teachers, and they don’t even have a degree.