Sabaton are Heavy Metal band from Sweden formed in 1999. The band is earning much more attention and in the nearest future they shall be more big. Our team member Akshay Gaikwad had a chance to talk to bands bassist Pär Sundström about their music, recent album, future plans and many general things.
Metalhead Spotted: Greetings from Metalhead Spotted! How have you all been doing? Which was your last live appearance?
Pär Sundström: We are extremely busy finnishing our new album, we start recording in about 1 week. Our last show was in Karlsruhe in Germany and was absolutely great ending of a tour!
Metalhead Spotted: What was a conscious decision to play Power Metal?
Pär Sundström: I do not consider Sabaton to be Power Metal, power metal is usually high pitched vocals with fantasy lyrics and Sabaton has nothing in common with that. We play simply
heavy metal.
Metalhead Spotted: Your last album Carolus Rex was certified platinum in Sweden also certified gold in poland. Are you satisfied with the response it has got through?
Pär Sundström: We are satisfied with the albums response. It increased the pressure a lot on us for the next album.
Metalhead Spotted: As a musician what are your primary influences? Do you have inspirations from any other artists?
Pär Sundström: Some classical bands have of course influenced us, like Accept, Judas Priest, Deep Purple and so. But we also find inspiration outside of metal, in classical music and some movie
soundtracks and so.
Metalhead Spotted: Could you tell us, how sabaton choose lyrical themes such as world war and historical events?
Pär Sundström: We decided in 2005 when we were writing Primo Victoria that we should find a good exciting theme. We wanted to do something connected with reality and this is why we did it like this.
Metalhead Spotted: Carolus Rex is most successful Swedish heavy metal album ever? What‘s your oppinion regarding Carolus Rex?
Pär Sundström: It was a lot of work making that, in two languages and about our own Swedish history. We had to clear everything with a historican since it is not so easy to find all information that we needed. When I look at it today I am very proud. Its a milestone in our career. For sure a lot of people did not care about it as it was Swedish history. But still we liked it.
Metalhead Spotted: In 2012 four members left the band, Can you talk about the impact of a line-up change on the band.
Pär Sundström: Initially a lot of people were worried. But since me and the singer Joakim anyway did most of the work in the band ourselves it worked fine direct with new members and today its better then ever. No bad words about our past members but our new guys are simply very good musicians.
Metalhead Spotted: Well, How would you recount your approach to the bass? Do you practice often?
Pär Sundström: I do not practice a lot. I make sure I know all the Sabaton tunes but thats about it. My job is not just to play bass. I do a lot of stuff that is necessary for the band as manager.
Metalhead Spotted: How did you come to work with Nuclear Blast?
Pär Sundström: Nuclear Blast kept an eye on Sabaton for a few years and we met first time at a show in Belgium. After that we started to talk and it took about 2 years until we signed a contract since we were in trouble with our past recordlabel.
Metalhead Spotted: Do you have any amazing and crazy stories, you can tell our readers about, from gigs and pratcices?
Pär Sundström: We are not a crazy band, not so much sex, drugs and rocknroll. We are actually quite focused on not drinking and partying. We dont do drugs and we are in this to play good music and not just get drunk.
Still of course there are many things happening when we are out so much, like our guitarplayer getting beaten up at a bar in Canada by a securityguard while our drummer was taking a shit next door. Or when our drummer possibly preventing a murder by streaking naked and spraying two men with beer. Or when a drunk pilot at a private chartered airplane tried to fuck with me. There are a few.
Metalhead Spotted: There are any songs you enjoy playing live?
Pär Sundström: I enjoy to play most of them. But Primo Victoria is always my favourite.
Pär Sundström: I always wanna have some band that is fun for the crowd to watch. To go to a Sabaton show should be fun. People should enjoy also the other bands who play the same night.
Metalhead Spotted: How do you feel about metal music nowdays?
Pär Sundström: Well, I love metal and have done as long as I can remember. Sabaton is my life. I dont do anything else, I dont have a family and I dont have another job or hobby. So, for me this is the life and I am enjoying it a lot!
Metalhead Spotted: What are the future plans for 2014? Is Sabaton working on new material nowdays?
Pär Sundström: We start by doing an album the first thing of 2014. After that follows a american tour and then its summer festivals in europe before we go back to america. We have the whole year 2014 fully booked and it is looking exciting! A new album will be out before next summer.
Metalhead Spotted: Thank you for taking the time to speak with me. Any last words for fans in India and beyond?
Pär Sundström: Big thanks for your interest to find out what we are up to this late 2013. And a big cheers to indian fans and hope that we one day can come there to play.
