Band:	Sabaton
Album:	Coat Of Arms
Style:	Power metal
Release date:	May 21, 2010
Guest review by:	ScreamingSteelUS

01. Coat Of Arms
02. Midway
03. Uprising
04. Screaming Eagles
05. The Final Solution
06. Aces In Exile
07. Saboteurs
08. Wehrmacht
09. White Death
10. Metal Ripper
11. Coat Of Arms [instrumental version] [Limited edition bonus]
12. Metal Ripper [instrumental version] [Limited edition bonus]

Sabaton - Coat of Arms

Sabaton's fifth foray into the grandiose and keyboard-laden military metal they so brilliantly pioneered with Primo Victoria is without a doubt the high point of their career thus far. Despite somewhat mixed reviews, this album definitely deserves a 10; it already ranks among my favorites.

Complaints have abounded regarding the inferiority of Coat of Arms to its predecessor Art of War, particularly where songwriting complexity is concerned. Admittedly, this latest album is something of a step backward in that regard. There is nothing on Coat of Arms that can compare to songs like "Cliffs of Gallipoli," or "Union (Slopes of St. Benedict)," which varied greatly from the traditional Sabaton style. However, while Coat of Arms may be a return to the formulaic approach that dominated previous albums, as the saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Coat of Arms is not Art of War, and never will be, but I believe that it surpasses its predecessor in terms of overall quality.

One distinct detail that separates Coat of Arms from the rest of Sabaton's discography is the production, which sounds tighter and more professional than ever before. That probably has something to do with the new switch to Nuclear Blast Records, but I think it has helped the Sabaton sound reach its zenith; the band's own sonic signature has now crystallized. The drums are mixed especially high, and Daniel Mullback's work on this album blew me away, particularly on "Screaming Eagles." Not being a drummer myself, perhaps I just never noticed on the previous records, but Coat of Arms really opened my eyes to how incredible he is. Joakim Broden sounds like he has been taking singing lessons; at the very least, all the practice he's had has benefited him greatly. His range seems to be expanding, which is especially evident in "Aces in Exile" (3:14 startled me the first time I heard the song). However, Joakim's voice is still as deep and gravelly as ever, so don't worry about losing one of the band's defining characteristics. On a side note, he looks and sounds uncannily like Soap MacTavish from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare I and II.

Song-wise, the album is quite formulaic, as I previously mentioned, but the highlights rank among the best of Sabaton's career. "Uprising," yet another tribute to the Poles of World War II, slows the tempo from the opening tracks; this is one of the band's more serious songs, telling the story of a dark time in Polish history through layered guitars. This is one of the best songs Sabaton has ever produced, and it will get stuck in your head; it was stuck in mine to such a degree that I ended up writing about the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in my English class (P.S. - I got an A on the paper). The next song, "Screaming Eagles," is the absolute best song ever written about war. Topping Sabaton's entire catalog in my opinion, "Screaming Eagles" has been described by the band as the fastest and heaviest song they have written so far, and there is no military unit in history that deserves this honor more than the 101st Airborne Division, the Screaming Eagles. If you have ever read the book or seen the miniseries "Band of Brothers," you will recognize the name; the men of Easy Company are members of the 101st, and this song chronicles their exploits from the landings in Normandy (not D-Day, but the night before) to the frozen hell of Bastogne. I have always had a strong admiration for those brave men of the 101st, so this song was sort of like a dream come true; it certainly does them justice. "The Final Solution" walks a thin line through dangerous territory; it can be quite easy to turn a heartfelt lament into a cheesy parody, especially with such deep material as the Holocaust. However, the band approaches this topic with the utmost respect, bearing in mind their philosophy that history makes for far greater storytelling material than fiction. Daniel Myhr's keyboard is clearly what makes the song complete, and his solo is the best I have ever heard. This anthem pulls off what might have seemed impossible - a Holocaust song that neither sucks musically nor makes light of the horrible crimes perpetrated by the Nazis.

Overall, Coat of Arms has shown the band regressing as far as songwriting complexity goes, but it has also shown that it is not necessary to go to those extra pains to make an incredible album. In fact, every song on here is fantastic, from the "Attero Dominatus" re-write of "Aces in Exile," to the resurgence of Latin in "Wehrmacht," to the ferocious ode to legendary Finnish badass Simo Hayha in "White Death," but I only have so much space to write. In sum, I highly recommend buying this album, though not necessarily as an introduction to Sabaton.