There's a very good reason that Swedish metal band Sabaton have been nominated multiple times for Best Live Band at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards. In concert, the group are a well-oiled riffing machine driven by thrashing guitars, epic keyboards and punishing drums. Charismatic vocalist Joakim Brodén, meanwhile, encourages the crowd's enthusiasm and the aggression around him onstage like a cool-under-fire circus ringmaster. The resulting show feels like an ecstatic communal experience in which audience members are bonded together by the (very metal) mayhem.

Sabaton have toured with acts such as DragonForce and HammerFall bringing venues like The Fillmore (Detroit) and The Fillmore (Minneapolis) to capacity, and appeared at major events such as the UK's Download Festival. The band also did a 20th-anniversary celebration gig at the 2019 Wacken Open Air festival that featured special appearances from multiple former members. And, since 2008, the band have thrown their own Sabaton Open Air festival, which features a packed lineup of hard rock and metal bands in addition to a unique Sabaton headlining gig.

Sabaton in Concert

Formed in 1999, Sabaton have pushed Swedish metal forward into remarkable new directions. Across their career, the band have specialized in well-researched lyrics rooted in world history and military-related events, including 2019's "Bismarck," a tune named after (and inspired by) the epic German battleship that sank in spring 1941.

Sabaton have also released several albums inspired by great works (for example, Sun Tzu's legendary book The Art of War inspired 2008's The Art of War) and important events: 2012's Carolus Rex is all about the Swedish empire's ill-fated existence, while World War I informed the concept of 2019's The Great War. Although Sabaton are frequently considered to be power metal, their music isn't easily pigeonholed. Their majestic guitar melodies and intricate solos echo heavy metal greats of the 1980s and '90s, while the cinematic keyboards and slick production conjure symphonic metal's theatrical bent.