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Sabaton have trumpeted loudly of Swedish Empire Live being their first concert DVD, a tad disingenuous given that the special edition of 2011’s World War Live: Battle Of The Baltic Sea added visual evidence of a show from Rockstad Falun some three years earlier.

Such minor quibbles aside, however, this multi-format package is pretty wonderful. Filmed last August at the Polish Woodstock Festival in front of more than half a million punters, it captures the fast-rising, combat-obsessed power-metal Scandinavians at full tilt, mere months after stabilising in the wake of the mutiny of half of the group.

With bodies as far as the eye can see, the camerawork makes you feel like you’re there. The band don’t place the focus upon their just-issued album, Carolus Rex. Favourites such as Cliffs Of Gallipoli, The Price Of A Mile, Attero Dominatus and Panzer Battalion have rarely sounded better.

Dave Ling was a co-founder of Classic Rock magazine. His words have appeared in a variety of music publications, including RAW, Kerrang!, Metal Hammer, Prog, Rock Candy, Fireworks and Sounds. Dave’s life was shaped in 1974 through the purchase of a copy of Sweet’s album ‘Sweet Fanny Adams’, along with early gig experiences from Status Quo, Rush, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Yes and Queen. As a lifelong season ticket holder of Crystal Palace FC, he is completely incapable of uttering the word ‘Br***ton’.