The War to End All Wars (album)
2022 studio album by Sabaton
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The War to End All Wars is the tenth studio album by the Swedish power metal band Sabaton, released on 4 March 2022.[4][5][6][7] It is the last album to feature guitarist Tommy Johansson and their last to be released through Nuclear Blast.[8]
| The War to End All Wars | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 4 March 2022 | |||
| Recorded | 2021 | |||
| Genre | Power metal[1] | |||
| Length | 45:21 | |||
| Label | Nuclear Blast | |||
| Sabaton chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The War to End All Wars | ||||
The album serves as a sequel to the band's 2019 album The Great War, and is a concept album which, like its predecessor, focuses on the atrocities, miracles and happenings around World War I, such as those of the Christmas truce, the stormtroopers of the German Army, the Race to the Sea, the Treaty of Versailles, the predominant dreadnought type of battleship during the early 20th century, and others. A "History Edition" of the album was released, featuring spoken introductions by Bethan Dixon Bate, who also narrated the main verses in the songs, "Sarajevo" and "Versailles".[9] Bate had previously narrated the introductions for the "History Edition" of The Great War album.[10] "The Symphony to End All Wars" was also released, featuring orchestral arrangements of the songs. Among the musicians featured were cellist Tina Guo, and Floor Jansen, who provided vocals on the album's version of "Christmas Truce".[11]
The single "Christmas Truce" was nominated for Music Video of the Year at the 2021 Global Metal Apocalypse Awards, finishing second overall.[12]
Reception
In the U.S., the album sold 8,000 copies in its first week of release.[13]
Accolades
| Publication | List | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Metal Hammer | The Best Metal Albums of 2022 So Far | –[14] |
Track listing
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Theme | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sarajevo" | Pär Sundström · Joakim Brodén | Chris Rörland · Brodén | The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand | 4:37 |
| 2. | "Stormtroopers" | Brodén | Brodén | The stormtroopers, specialist soldiers of Imperial Germany | 3:56 |
| 3. | "Dreadnought" | Sundström · Brodén | Brodén | Dreadnought-type battleships and the Battle of Jutland | 4:58 |
| 4. | "The Unkillable Soldier" | Sundström · Brodén | Brodén | Adrian Carton de Wiart during World War I | 4:11 |
| 5. | "Soldier of Heaven" | Sundström | Rörland · Brodén | The Italian-Austrian front and White Friday | 3:38 |
| 6. | "Hellfighters" | Brodén | Rörland · Brodén | The 369th Infantry Regiment of the United States of America, also known as the Harlem Hellfighters | 3:26 |
| 7. | "Race to the Sea" | Brodén | Brodén | Albert I of Belgium fighting alongside Belgian soldiers in the Battle of the Yser at the end of the 1914 Race to the Sea | 3:47 |
| 8. | "Lady of the Dark" | Sundström | Brodén | Milunka Savić, a female Serbian soldier from 1912-1919 | 3:03 |
| 9. | "The Valley of Death" | Sundström · Brodén | Rörland · Brodén | The three battles of Doiran (1916, 1917, 1918) | 4:13 |
| 10. | "Christmas Truce" | Sundström · Brodén | Brodén | The Christmas Truce of 1914 | 5:18 |
| 11. | "Versailles" | Sundström · Brodén | Rörland · Brodén | The Treaty of Versailles | 4:14 |
| Total length: | 45:21 | ||||
Notes
- The song "Sarajevo" does not appear on the standard digital version of the album, although it does appear on the digital "History Edition" and all CD and vinyl versions.
Personnel
Band members
- Joakim Brodén – lead vocals, keyboards
- Pär Sundström – bass, backing vocals
- Chris Rörland – guitars, backing vocals
- Tommy Johansson – guitars, backing vocals
- Hannes Van Dahl – drums, backing vocals
Guest musicians
- Bethan Dixon Bate – narration on "Sarajevo", "Versailles" and History Edition album
- Flowing Chords – backing vocals on "Christmas Truce"
- Antti Martikainen - arranger on The Symphony to End All Wars album
- Floor Jansen - vocals on The Symphony to End All Wars album ("Christmas Truce")
- Tina Guo - cello on The Symphony to End All Wars album
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Hungary (MAHASZ)[48] | Gold | 2,000‡ |
| Sweden (GLF)[49] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||