 Jimmy K here metal voice look at this the metal voice shirts are now on sale Just go to a video description to find out on how you can purchase one Welcome to the metal voice today on the show. It's been a while. It's been a while since we had sabbaton Alan it's been a while hasn't too long Yeah, yeah, and we got on the phone with us the one the only Joaquin broden The singer of sabbaton of the hardest working band and metal Well, not the last year and a half at least. No Hey, that was probably a well-deserved break for you guys unnecessarily so Yeah, I was weird, but I mean we kept busy. We started started off by Yeah, we were touring him up until later mid-march or something like that because Russia didn't look down until quite a bit later Actually when you were there on tour and then we decided to make the best of it So we've we've done a whole bunch of recordings and other things. We have a lot of stuff in the pipeline ready to go now Yeah, I think the most exciting thing is before we get to the recordings is wow Touring with Judas Priest in North America and other parts of the world. Can you tell us how that came about? Oh Well, give us the short story I Don't know exactly how but we speak we've played with priests the first time in 2010 in Berlin and We've had you know, we've run into each other on festivals and it's all about timing. I mean we've yeah being you know Kids we were one of the first favorite bands were Judas Priest. I mean obviously We've wanted to tour with them even before they knew we existed but Finally, I mean it was supposed to be last year, but finally we may manage to get the timing right You know with album releases and when when you're able to tour and stuff And I'm really really looking forward to it doubly so because yeah, we haven't been touring much lately and Also to be touring with yeah one of our favorite bands of all time can't be better, huh? Oh, no I mean and I'm gonna I'm gonna go to Alan Alan saw you when you guys opened up for accept Yeah, you guys come a long way I you took the words right out of my mouth You've been building your reputation here in North America by working so hard and now you're hitting the the major major stadiums here or larger venues of Judas Priest, so Yeah, I mean it's Was actually our first tour. We had played America a few years earlier 2008 at Prague Power Festival, but the bit acceptor was 2011 That's 10 years ago now, and that was the first proper tour in America That was a great double bill Yeah, and I mean another one of our you know favorite bands growing up, so I'm not complaining We played with a lot of Lot of bands we grew up listening to I mean we were it's kind of weird actually because we've always been that sort of in-between Band, you know we our first demos and you know recordings were done on analog gear But we were among the first to adopt you know go to CD when you start burning your own CDs and stuff like that Yeah, we were in the middle of the streaming thing so we were Yeah, we never had you know these you know When you talk to other people the old days when you would sell albums like you know Insane amount we never saw that actually so We're sort of in-between we're not a new generation band because we've been around since 1999 But we couldn't say we're you know old school either because they're a those guys start away way earlier than us We've been you know a part of a big shift in the industry if you will just just one of the last interview We did with his heavy MTL and and you guys are joking how you burn through members because they can't keep up with your tour schedule So now with this break you guys have become some consistency now with it with the tour members with the band members Yeah, we hope so we never wanted to change anyone No, it's just also the biggest difference I'd say is Getting You know for us especially starting out from a small town in Sweden all loving heavy metal and wanting to be a rock musician at any cost at any price and then The reality of it the touring and I mean this life isn't for everybody So actually most other people in the business or other bands we've met they said like we're just surprised You guys stayed with a sort of well not original lineup But sort of original lineup so long because most bands have that you know Transition way earlier, but we stayed there until 2011 sort of we didn't Change much members between yeah in 1999 2000 until yeah, we got a keyboarder, but that was about it, you know Then it comes a time when you people are Getting married or about to get married having kids or about to get kids and having a work job on the side me and Pat and Abedid and We wanted to buy and then we realized that they wanted different things they wanted to play heavy metal Yes, but not not professionally they want a weekend we can't worry Yeah, but I mean not in a bad way. I don't hate them at all for it, but they wanted a different life So we sort of like oh shit. I thought we'd be working to you know to make it But then we didn't so luckily enough. We didn't end up killing each other, you know total implosion of the band and When after that it's been more stable. I interviewed par when you played last time in Montreal and I asked him this question. I'm gonna ask you the question. What has been the key to such Enormity like your anomaly Sabaton is a band that is Getting bigger and bigger in an era when everybody can't get bigger and bigger. What is the key to your success business-wise? Oh, I mean we can't take all the credit here because it's a matter of timing and luck Yes, there is I'm not saying you know a lot of grit hard work Don't don't ever give up hard work harder Yeah, you have to there's the thing, you know, there's those most people who sort of are Going the right way have made the right decisions have worked hard, but there's a lot of people who have done equally Equally hard work and equally good work who haven't made it Because of yeah timing sometimes luck all of these things And I mean when we started heavy metal was well our melodic metal was dead And I mean dead not only in the US, but in Europe as well So that was weird, but that started coming back and At the time when we our weird days as a shitty garage band were Not over I would say but let's be honest We weren't very good in the beginning, but we were really willing to Work hard and be disciplined about rehearsals Working on harmony vocals and you know being veteran, you know trying to improve all the time Maybe that's one of the keys, you know never Never being complacent really but rather trying to improve all the time, you know not sit back Ah that tour was great Now let's keep that stage set and we can't eclipse that sort of always thinking What can we do better? How can we tweak this? How can we write better songs? How can we make a more impressive show? How can we be better at playing? You know every album is like a history lesson. It's unbelievable how how the lyrics and the storytelling Do you think history and what you guys sing about plays a part into your success? absolutely absolutely There are enough bands singing about Motorcycles women and dragons But there are so many fantastic stories in our past that are being forgotten, so why why make up new ones somehow You know at the same time and yeah, of course our music sometimes triggers, you know Nationalistic feelings and if it's not enough, you know, you know, totally crazy way that could could possibly be a good thing where you know it could be good that People learn something from it. I mean obviously the main reason we do this is not to teach history But if somebody gets historically interested, that's I think a good thing You know, it's funny. I think you know, you talk about different sides of war. I Kind of you know, like you talk about it then I go maybe this is gonna start a war You know what I mean, right? Germans talk about the Polish, you know, it's yeah We're always controversial somewhere because you know back in We first albums we did that were well Military history related which would be privo Victoria We actually got blacklisted which is the thing they have in Germany for anything connected with Yeah, the Nazis and stuff like that Things that aren't allowed censorship and then because we had the word Nazi in the intro to the song pretty much. Oh, yeah, but it's about the D-Day landings But to get rid of that we had to sort of Submit all our lyrics to the whole album to get it off that blacklist but The best thing was they told us that well and our record label at the time as well Well guys, so next time then you've learned this don't put the word Nazi In the first song during the intro. Oh, we said, okay, so we put it in the first song during the first verse What if we are gonna see about military history? They a lot of people have said but you can see other parts about history Yeah, but here's the thing you're only shifting the focus if you're singing about military history of at least decently Recent times and let's go back at least say 500 years There's always one country is gonna feel uncomfortable about that That's right Okay, so from the past let's go to the future. So what are you writing now? Where are you going? We're we're Sabaton gonna take us next on what journey what war what were we talking about? What's the next new album gonna sound like? Well, it's very much a sabaton album in that way But that's always been, you know We've been an evolutionary band always and not a revolutionary band that you know There is always surprises on a sabaton album, but we're never gonna you know Flip the coin and you'll do something totally different on every song on a new album There's gonna be surprises in every album and I'm actually Listening to an approving masters had the master of the new album right now. I think why it is always subjective I think it's pathetic. We're not artists go and say it's the best album we ever made and you know They keep promoting the same tired line I say it's up to the listeners decide that but I know for a fact that everybody in the band without you know, even Without even sitting in the same room together because I you know sort of Shift out the pre mixes to everyone and everybody. This is the only time in our history. This has happened. Everybody came back with Fuck that sounds great. You know, everybody's super happy with the production I don't mean we were always happy before but there was like, maybe this maybe that now it was more like Okay, yeah, I have some suggestions and ideas, but wow Really happy with the sound lesson. What lesson are we gonna learn this time around and and Were you going with that? I mean and again, if you don't want to reveal it I mean just maybe a high high level of where it's going Well, it's about war, you know, it's about war Well, let's I can't reveal the exact topic what we are doing modern warfare Twentieth century, okay All right, and what about these then you have these Living guard, I don't know if you the sweetest version of the new single, right? You have the fence of Moscow you have war to We have the was it the the the matter war. Sorry. Yes. Can the kingdom come Are these gonna end up as bonus tracks on the new album? No, no, they're totally separate from the new album We have some time and we don't like sitting still so we have Those are not on the album at all. We have a complete album plus plus those tracks plus Okay, I know there's a surprise tomorrow and on Friday, so I guess we'll know tomorrow what that is Yeah, a lot of announcements and stuff happening right now in our camp At least we have a few few interesting things down the pipeline a few sort of expected a few totally unexpected No And again, you know, we spoke about accept ice earth to now Judas Priest Is there any other of your heroes that you'd like to tour with the you? You had the occasion to tour with And we had the occasion to tour with the some of you actually I remain in the scorpions Which we're really grateful for have you know Not only played with but met and had fun with certain times maybe too much fun But Yeah, I mean the weirdest thing is all these years I've never seen a Metallica because we were always so busy and I never had it but now we are on this tour We're playing on the same Have a chance to catch Metallica live, which is gonna be nice Are you worried? Okay, now we're here. Okay. There was a lot of tours being booked and now we're hearing a lot of I don't want to jinx this But a lot of tours being cancelled or postponed will say I mean are you worried that this North American tour? Might fall apart or the European tours because you know or you feel more confident this time around well, I I have no we have not heard anything Because this is obviously you just priests or but we have not heard anything from them about change plans at all So I'm pretty confident as you know as long as we're allowed I'm not really worried about the business. I'm more worried about the politicians in being blend implementing lockdowns or whatever In a sense, no, I'm not that worried. I Pretty as confident as it can be these days That we're gonna come over and place on heavy metal. Of course on certain times I can In no way guarantee that's gonna happen. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we had that we had to move ahead at some point So at least they're booked and let the chips fall where they may Yeah, in a sense Absolutely, and especially we can't be in a, you know in a sort of With the world in a pause mode for you know an attorney and if you want to tell everybody about the history channel What does that mean to Sabaton? I mean, I know about it Alan knows about it But tell the people who don't know about the history channel the Sabaton history channel so they could stay to that. I'm sure Yeah, it's actually something we're really proud of and happy about because it's you know Sabaton history channel is a YouTube channel and it's basically free to watch and You know, we had this dream maybe 15 years ago We started seeing about military history that wow these things are so interesting, but we can't cover it all I mean, we got three to five minutes or maybe six seven sometimes and In that we can't cover a whole conflict or a whole battle in you know Only that amount of time and in a context of a heavy metal song but now we have the possibility maybe not full-sized documentaries, but we're talking about a you know Historical segment written well mostly by historical experts and historians The host is a historian and an American called Indy Nedell from Texas and we have a sort of Minion part are usually the ones involved in the episodes and we only do the introduction and then sort of an interview after the Historical segment every episode is about 15 minutes and about 10 of those in the middle are usually Well the Historical part and I mean that's not the end But it's a deeper dive and gives a little bit of a more understanding in the choice of words We might have in the lyrics or in the interview after you can hear or maybe a touring story about that song or how it Came to be in the studio or whatever so it's I Think I think that goes too much. I think that goes too much. Sorry to cut you off I think that goes to my initial question what your success is all about It's your involvement in your music and from every angle, you know from history channel to writing the lyrics to telling stories and That really separates you from everybody else. I think right Maybe there's maybe they were closer to it when you think there because I mean yes The the most human thing there is actually is telling stories I mean if you meet somebody in a bar, you're gonna end up telling a story Even if you're only telling about, you know, even if you're not bad first date You're just gonna be storytelling, you know, talk about dragons Is there any is there anything else what came you want to sort of mention you want to promote before we let you go No, I I don't really feel comfortable promoting stuff. I would just eat I would I would like to encourage people to Come and see a show or check us out or you know, don't let this Pandemic bring you down more than it has to Things have to progress and move on and I'm pretty sure they will Let's make the best out of it. Well, we can all right the tour to end all tours Alan two weeks I mean, I guess this is starting in September 26 cities in 17 countries Bringing the ground breaking modern metal to the people and delivering breath taking live shows in a setting that will once again Send new bars for concerts of this Kind sad baton will be supported. Of course, they will support Judas Priest and listen to this Alan the Mongolian rock band the who and the finish Lordy in North, I guess that's in Europe, right? Yeah, but Kim What do you think about the who not the you yeah, I think it's pretty cool Yeah, it's I saw them actually live in Was this summer of 19? It must have been one Rock and Ring and Rock in Park in Germany And that's when we sort of because we had our eyes on them. We thought it was really cool and different and interesting and Yeah, I mean we came across them basically very cool videos and they had a song about Jinguist Khan which sort of yeah crosses our path in a way They're fridging on your territory I got a question for you. Why do you think that who is is logged into the metal community? They're traditional Mongolian music, but the metal community has embraced them I have no idea, but I think it's not only the metal community metal community is one of the communities Who's embraced them? They are so new and something different And I mean the music and the style they do it's primal and it's you know, pentatonic at least in a way So that's basic musical Uh Foundation is similar for most kinds of music. So I think they are You know going across other genres. We of course being a part of the metal community see them Oh, they're you know, who coming in something new and fresh coming into our territory But I think there's a good chance that is people in other, you know, uh musical genres feeling the same way about them And just before letting go, I want to know where's the tank right now? What'd you do with the tank? Uh, we have two one. It's on the one way to the Czech Republic And one is on its way to America Ah, okay Hopefully you won't have any problems like it did With customs as you did last time. Hopefully they'll go through customs a lot easier What do you do at customs like, okay? This is my tank. Here's my favorite work for the tank It's very much dismantled and we in the beginning we sort of named things after what they were like tank and you know Artillery and we thought like that's a bad idea. Let's talk. Let's call it stage prop first Yeah, and that's on the closer distribution a stage prop in this material When built together might resemble a tank, you know All right, we're at right at 25 minutes. Thank you so much. Joachim. We'll see you on tour in Montreal, Canada. All right All right. Thank you very much guys. Thank you. Take care. See you in a few weeks