It's about time Sabaton hit the big screen. Sweden's history obssessed heavy metal warriors have never lacked for ambition, but 2022's The War To End All Wars seemed to mark a decisive step up in terms of sheer scale and execution, the band supporting the record with everything from a feature length animated movie released in museums worldwide to a massive arena tour with Babymetal and Lordi. Still, they continue to build.
The live concert movie of The Tour To End All Tours hits cinemas worldwide next Friday (October 11) and marks not only the winding down of the band's latest album campaign, but a 25 year journey that has seen them stake a strong claim on being the world's biggest power metal band (depending where you drop Iron Maiden in metal's great subgenre pantheon).
Filmed at Amsterdam's 17,000 capacity Ziggo Dome, it almost goes without saying that the show is an undeniably bombastic spectacle. But by being translated to the big screen, it drives home just how massive the band are now - and exactly how far they've come.
On a stage decorated with sandbags, barbed wire and yes, an actual tank, you start to appreciate the full scale of just how massive Sabaton are now. A sea of fans in Sabaton shirts, replica body armour (to match Brodén's own on-stage look) and masks pays off a sense that Sabaton are a veritable metal empire by this point, and for all the ubiquity of their merchandise in the crowd, it's nothing compared to countless shots of fans roaring along with gusto throughout the set.
The multi-cam set-up offers a dynamic view of all the action on-stage, but somewhat ironically the many quick-cuts mean sometimes the sheer scale of what you're witnessing is lost amdist a bombardment of explosions and blasts of pyro. Sabaton's show is an absolute masterclass in heavy metal maximalism, the descriptor "cinematic" barely scratching the surface for stunning images like guitarist Tommy Johannson soloing atop a burning piano during Christmas Truce, or gasmask-clad extras spraying smoke into the arena.
That's the thing; The Tour To End All Tours is a production in the truest sense of the word. While it certainly isn't metal's only foray into cinema this year - largely thanks to Ghost's Rite Here Rite Now - it still manages to feel like the biggest metal spectacle in the world. Whether you're a diehard Sabaton fan or just interested in seeing metal on the big screen, this is one cinema trip you can't afford to miss.
The Tour To End All Tours hits cinemas in Europe and Australia on October 11, then North America on October 30 & 31. For the full list of participating cinemas and to get tickets, visit the band's official website.
