Hello friends, fans & alcoholics!
I've just listened to "The Art of War" while trying to memorize the lyrics for the upcoming tours and I thought it was time that I gave you guys and gals an update about the tracks on the album and a little teaser on how they sound and what the lyrics are about.
1. "Sun Tzu says"
An introduction to the album and the concept, but a very short one since none of us in the band are big fans of long intros.
2. "Ghost Division"
The first song, which is a heavy fucker.
I really can't compare this track with anything we've done before so I'll just let you all know that it is an uptempo tune with heavy riffing and massive choirs!
The lyrics deal with the subject of Rommel's tank division during the invasion of France where the division got the nickname "Ghost Division" since they were advancing so fast that not even the german high command we aware of their whereabouts at times.
3. "The Art of War"
A slower but ever heavier track with some kind of evil and agressive atmosphere going on.
This song probably has the heaviest guitarwork we've ever had on an album and it's gonna be a blast to perform it live for you all since it's really got some great sing-along parts.
They lyrics in this one does not describe an actual battle, but rather preaches what Sun Tzu writes in this chapter of the book.
4. "40:1"
This is a typical Sabaton track with double kickdrums, great choirs and killer melodies!
One of my personal favourites on the album that really shows what Sabaton is all about and how great heavy metal with church mode choirs can sound.
On this song the lyrics tell the story about the battle of Wizna where about 720 polish soldiers stopped 40.000 men from the german wehrmacht from advancing for 3 days in the beginning of WW2.
Truly a song fitting the polish warrior spirit!
5. "Unbreakable"
A great old-school hard rock/metal tune that starts off as a slow heavy riffer and halfway through gains some momentum and speed for a powerful finish.
Fans of the hard rock/metal scene in the late 70's and early 80's should feel a familiar warmth and a surge of energy going through their bodies when they hear this.
The lyrics on this one also delivers the message of Sun Tzu from the corresponding chapter in the book.
6. "The Nature of Warfare"
A mini-instrumental composition that sets you in the right mood for the upcoming track.
Think "Star Wars" meets "Jaws" to finally collide with the soundtrack of "The Little Mermaid".................. yes that was a bad joke....or was it?
7. "Cliffs of Gallipoli"
Another one of my personal favorites, but probably the hardest song to describe correctly.
It's a piano/guitar driven composition that takes quite a few interesting turns with great melodies and an epic atmosphere that surrounds it.
Lyrically this song describes the chaos and sadness of the battle of Gallipoli that took place in Turkey in 1915.
From the battle rose Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey, whose words after the battle inspired us to write this song and recently travel to Turkey to visit the battleground.
8. "Talvisota"
A fast-paced, double kickdrum, in your face metal track with precision guitarwork and loads of energy that's gonna break your neck while trying to headbang to it.
Those of finnish origin probably knows what the song is about by only reading the title, but I thought I'd spare the rest of the world a visit to google.com and reveal that the song is about the finnish winter war during WW2.
The bottom line is that the finnish soldiers with their sisu mentality will (as they should) forever go down in history as among the fiercest opponents any army can face on a battlefield.
9. "Panzerkampf"
I'm not sure if I should call this song a Hymn or an Anthem but I think you get the general idea.
It's a very powerful midtempo tune with an agressive army style chorus backed up some serious heavy riffing.
The lyrics tell the story about one of the biggest battle in military history: The Battle of Kursk.
Also one of my favorites on the album and a killer live!
10. "Union (Slopes of St. Benedict)"
A very powerful song with great melodies and choirs with a battle hymn like feeling to it.
Somehow it almost feels a little bit Irish but I can't really say why... (Well I could actually tell you why, but you've gotta find out something on your own.)
Lyrically it's a battle hymn telling the story of the soldiers who fought at Monte Cassino on their way north to Rome.
11. "The Price of a Mile"
Once again a very powerful song but in a different way from above mentioned "Union".
Massive choirs and heavy guitarwork makes this slow paced track come alive on its own and all I can say is that you'll know why when you hear it.
The lyrics on this one is about the madness and senseless waste of life that took place in the trenches of WW1 on the western front.
Metal quiz hint: Another moderately famous underground metal band has also written a song about this battle that took place in West Flanders, Belgium.
12. "Firestorm"
No beating around the bush here, Sabaton goes Thrash-Metal with fast and heavy riffing like never before!
All I will say about the lyrics is that the corresponding chapter in the book is called "The Attack by Fire".
13. "A Secret"
It wouldn't be a secret if I told you anything about it.
Well that's the tracklist folks, and I hope you've all preordered the album from your local reseller or
www.sabaton.net to make sure it will be in your mail on the 30:th of May. (Some lucky bastards seem to get it one day in advance though).
Go get it or I'll never eat Haggis on stage again!
/ Joakim
