SABATON - Live in Brisbane

8 Sept

A Night Of Riffs, History, And Pure Metal Theatre.

Sunday 7th September 2025

Written by Jake Folmer
Photographed by: Tracy Mclaughlan

AMARANTHE kicked the night off in futuristic style, opening with an AI projection, warning the crowd about ChatGPT, declaring “we created it, and they are the catalyst.”

From there, the stage erupted: pounding drums and sharp riffs set the pace as the trio of vocalists burst in one by one. What followed was less a warm-up and more a heavy metal rave with flashy, high-energy, and impossible not to stand still for. Their trademark triple-vocal attack with Elize Ryd’s soaring cleans, Nils Molin’s smooth delivery, and Mikael Sehlin’s growls, played out like a duel, with duets and vocal battles crashing over tight riffs and EDM-laced grooves. They even treated Brisbane to a sneak preview track from the upcoming album, Legends, alongside highlights like their e-sports World Cup anthem PvP, which had gamer eyes lighting up, and Olof Mörck’s intricate guitar solos, equal parts flashy and refined. For a crowd still shaking off Riverfire hangovers, Amaranthe’s high-energy set was the perfect jolt — fun, polished, and enthusiastically received.

The stage lit up with a massive backdrop and projected WWII fighter planes swooping in as the lights dimmed. The hall glowed with phone torches as SABATON drummer, Hannes Van Dahl, launched into Ghost Division. Within seconds, Joakim Brodén — camo pants, sunglasses, and pure charisma — stormed onstage, with epic synths and Johan on bass commanding the frontline. From there it was a non-stop history lesson disguised as a party: Red Baron and The Great War landed to huge cheers, while Joakim kept the vibe alive with jokes, banter, and even an impression of Jeff Dunham’s “Achmed the Dead Terrorist.” A hilarious setlist mix-up with the drummer had everyone laughing, before the band dropped a surprise cover of METALLICA’s Master of Puppets — complete with Joakim shredding on a pink Hello Kitty guitar.

What really stood out was the crowd participation. SABATON constantly thanked their Australian fans, and Joakim made sure the audience was part of the show. During Swedish Pagans, the two guitarists split the crowd in half to see who could chant louder before uniting everyone for one massive chorus. Instead of the usual encore walk-off, Joakim told the crowd: “We’re just gonna keep playing — it’d be one less song if we walked out, right?” That led straight into the finale, a thunderous To Hell and Back.