LIVE REVIEW: SABATON + AMARANTHE @ THE FORTITUDE MUSIC HALL 07/09/25
Photo Charlyn Cameron
Words by Cecilia Pattison-Levi. Photos Charlyn CameronWell, what can I say about Amaranthe and Sabaton, but this was a completely, totally, awesome and astonishing sold-out gig! The love in the room was full and huge. Did hyperbole rule? Yes – but what a way to go!
The excitement on the train coming into Fortitude Valley at attend the Amaranthe and Sabaton concert was present. It was Sabaton’s first ever headline show in Queensland. Then, as we walked up to the Fortitude Valley Music Hall, we were greeted with the site of a huge line snaking its way around the block with people dressed in black (and I was grateful I bought that premium ticket) as an army of fans got ready to see one of metal’s greatest nights of music.
And, Amaranthe and Sabaton delivered one of the most joyful concerts I have been to in Brisbane this year and I have never seen crowd engagement in the music and the band like I witnessed at this gig. The two Swedish power metal titans really delivered to the crowd. Amaranthe with their warnings about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and giving your consciousness and agency away to computer algorithms. Sabaton giving the crowd ‘Legends’ where they brought history to life, like the bards of old, as they told of tales of valour and sacrifice in thunderous anthems. From the first blast of ‘The March To War’ to the final salute ‘To Hell And Back’, Sabaton were not just musicians—they’re historians with a serious mission wrapped in the sounds of heavy metal.
Gothenburg’s Amaranthe are still defining heavy metal’s boundaries, as their narrative story about the dangers of AI were wrapped into fluid sounds that cross multi-musical genres. The band have released seven studio albums including their newest album ‘The Catalyst’, where they have taken musical memes and infused symphonic metal with pop, folk, electronic dance music (EDM), and balladry. There sound is so unique and it exploded out of the blocks as bassist Johan Andreassen whipped up the crowd from the first song ‘Fearless’. The other guitarist Olof Mörck joined in and the “Danish” drummer Morten Løwe Sørensen who was buried in the kit was so controlled and together they made the soundscape astonishing. The band moved so quickly and followed up with ‘Viral’, the ominous ‘Digital World’ before the band stopped, took a breath, and introduced gothic melodic song ‘Damnation Flame’.
It was the most amazing opening from a support band ever! Amaranthe delivered a 14-song set with power and you just couldn’t take your eyes off them as they switched singers and moved around the stage to highlight the whole band. It was extraordinary. Amaranthe are a controlled unit with their melodic songs, theatrical hair flying flair and emotional resonance that can be seen in the performance expressed of the three vocalists, the absolutely gorgeous and powerhouse soprano vocalist Elize Ryd, flanked by smooth as silk vocalist Nils Molin and the fierce, guttural vocalist Mikael Sehlin, whose delivery adds a visceral metal edge to the band’s polished all-encompassing sound.
Amaranthe played burst of songs in lots of threes and the next set were ‘Maximize’, ‘Strong’ and ‘PvP’. And, this was followed by ‘Re-Vision’, ‘The Catalyst’ and ‘Amaranthine’. Then, the band lightened up as the fun had started as the rowd and band relaxed with ‘The Nexus’, ‘Call Out My Name’ and the best fun of ‘That Song’ that samples Queen's ‘We Will Rock You’. During all this dynamic and energic delivery, the crowd were given singing lessons, competitions were held and the level of engagement with this band was huge.
It was so good. Amaranthe played an encore. Yes. An encore for a support band with ‘Drop Dead Cynical’ played with its staccato riffs and catchy vocals that perfectly encapsulate Amaranthe’s soundscape. I didn’t want them to leave the stage, but with Sabaton following, I wasn’t sure the evening could go higher…but it did.
The chant that started in the Fortitude Valley Music Hall for Sabaton was huge. The sold-out crowd had come to see this band and were up for what was coming. Sabaton, are very clearly the biggest name in power heavy metal today. These Scandinavian musicians (Joakim Brodén, Pär Sundström, Chris Rörland, Hannes Van Dahl, and Thobbe Englund) have been ground breaking in blending history and war-inspired anthemic songs with history lessons learned to lovers of music with a message for over 25 years.
Without hesitation the extraordinary drummer Hannes Van Dahl who really put on a masterclass performance popped up onstage, as the band came out and bombastically kicked-off the gig with ‘The March To War’, then the fantastic ‘Ghost Division’ followed and ‘The Last Stand’ and the crowd were matching the band’s drive and energy and serving it back to them as they happily sang along at full volume with fists in the air. Every note was received and amplified. Then, the energy was just about to bounce up a notch as Joakim Brodén addressed the crowd with: “Well, it is amazing to see so many here for this party after you have been at church all day – and you are out on a Sunday”. Then, he introduced ‘The Red Baron’ and the place literally went off. It is a short and sweet speed-fest of a song that has gained a reputation as one of the most fun Sabaton songs ever to sing along to and Brisbane did just that.
It was the perfect beginning to one of the best heavy rock concerts I’ve attended this year and maybe the best gig over the last few years. It was Sabaton classic songs all in arow now as the 21-song set went into overdrive: ‘Great War’, the moving ‘Fields of Verdun’ and the incredible ‘Bismarck’. It was impressive. The atmosphere in the venue was epic and glorious as the crowd sang along at full volume. And, Joakim Brodén joked: “Hey. This is my job!”.
Photo Charlyn Cameron
Sabaton needed no props to deliver their sound and message. They joked around a lot bullying Joakim Brodén by sticking guitar pics to him or flicking them at him. He, then, threw them out into the crowd. You could tell this was an end of tour blow-out show and the amazing songs just keep coming with the huge chant in ‘Resist and Bite’ all done with a Hello Kitty guitar in pink: “it works”. Then, the truly amazing ‘Soldier of Heaven’ was sung and it was so good. It was followed with the new song off the coming new album ‘Legends’ was played ‘Hordes of Khan’.
The power of Sabaton is their song writing – they write damn good songs loaded with meaning! You just have to listen to the history delivered in ‘The Attack of the Dead Men’, the fantastic Swedish version of ‘Carolus Rex’ which fans had learned and was performed wonderfully. The songs ‘Stormtroopers’, the affecting ‘Christmas Truce’ about WWI, ‘Night Witches’ and ‘The Art of War’ demonstrate their bardic skill.
Photo Charlyn Cameron
The musical skill is pretty hot as well as they joked about it “being disco time” with ABBA’s ‘Dancing Queen’ and other pop and synth musical tones from Sweden. It was clever, knowing and brilliant. The delivery of Australian history in the song ‘Cliffs Of Gallipoli’ was just amazing. As a person with a history degree myself, for this band to be writing and playing this song to the ANZACs fallen men and to people with relatives killer or at Gallipoli in the crowd – it was astounding, powerful and emotionally resonant.
The concert was coming to its end, as Sabaton decided to “up-the tempo” and ended the set with another classic trifecta of songs that took 20 minutes to perform. It was a masterclass in how to do heavy metal right. As Joakim Brodén said: “We will play you heavy metal all night. Catch you up with our music. Then, we will come back to Australia and play you the new album ‘Legends’. We have neglected you here in Australia, but we will be back!”. Then, the band delivered the classic ‘Primo Victoria’ from their debut album with its careering rhythm, then came the huge singalong, with competition to see who was loudest in the venue and in Australia, the infectious and engaging crowd favourite ‘Swedish Pagans’ and the closing song ‘To Hell and Back’ which the crowd embraced and tried to not let the band go as the chant of Sabaton got louder and louder.
But, like all good things, the band acknowledged the crowd, the energy and the love, and bowed and said goodnight. And it was a good night. As the crowds funnelled out in the Valley, the buzz and joy was palpable. Amaranthe and Sabaton put on a hell of a performance. It was top class! I cannot wait to see them again – please hurry back to Brisbane. Pure magic!
