Global power metal band and ninth biggest Swedish act (of all genres) Sabaton has unveiled their latest single, ‘Crossing The Rubicon’ and it features singer Jonny Hawkins and guitarist Mark Vollelunga of Nothing More.
The single is a special collaborative version of the track, while the original version will be available as part of their 11th studio album, Legends, due out on the 17th October via Better Noise Music.
“Working with our American brothers in Nothing More on our new single ‘Crossing The Rubicon’ has been an absolute pleasure,” said Sabaton frontman Joakim Brodén. “When we shared the song with the guys, they really liked it and were genuinely excited about a collaboration, which got us really pumped. There’s something powerful about bringing two worlds together in music.”
“I’m really glad we got the chance to team up with our new labelmates Nothing More for this one,”continued bassist Pär Sundström. “Collaborating with them added a cool touch. This one’s a special treat for both their fans and ours!”
Nothing More frontman Jonny Hawkins said, “This song awakens that old, war spirit in me and makes me want to ride a horse straight into the gates of Hell. I’m proud to be a part of it with such an incredible band like Sabaton.”
“We are very honoured and excited to release this collaboration with our newfound Swedish labelmates Sabaton,” added Nothing More guitarist Mark Vollelunga. “It was fun to do something a little different than we were used to, and we’re stoked they wanted us to put our special Nothing More sauce on their Scandinavian Metal.”
‘Crossing The Rubicon’ follows second single and cinematic video, ‘Hordes Of Khan’. “‘Hordes Of Khan’ was a great one to take a deep dive into,” said singer Joakim Brodén. “The song actually turned out to have way more depth than we expected. Genghis Khan wasn’t just a conqueror; he was a complex figure who left behind a huge legacy. He built the largest contiguous empire in history, stretching far beyond Mongolia, and his influence only grew after his death. Honestly, we couldn’t have picked a more suitable subject for the new direction Sabaton is heading in! ‘Hordes Of Khan’ hits hard, and it’s heavy for good reason. We know our fans crave heavy music, and we’re pumped to see how they react to this one. Hopefully, it’s a track they’ll be blasting on repeat!”
As bassist Pär Sundström explained, “Joakim wanted to write a proper heavy metal song, and as we’ve seen from past releases, a lot of our fans appreciate pure fucking heavy metal! That’s what ‘Hordes Of Khan’ is, and when you listen to it and close your eyes, you can imagine Genghis Khan on his horse, galloping to battle. Joakim composed the music and I actually wrote the lyrics for this one. When I started to work on them, I realised the melody was pretty complicated. Honestly, they were some of the most difficult lyrics that I’ve ever written. All in all, I’m very happy with the result, especially as Joakim has said that parts of the lyrics are some of Sabaton‘s best to date.”
The music video for ‘Hordes Of Khan’ is based in the future, in the year 2045. It was filmed in London at two different locations, the Natural History Museum and at Harrow School, and follows the main character -a young girl – who plays in a heavy metal band and loves Sabaton, but she won’t ever have the opportunity to see the band play because in 2039, all wars have miraculously ended. The world is now peaceful, and war is obsolete and therefore, so is Sabaton. The girl hears about a museum that’s featuring a Sabaton exhibit with all of the band members’ musical instruments. The girl and her band sneak into this museum to check it out. Once inside, they are greeted by a hologram telling the story about the musical instruments of Sabaton that contain magic that brings history to life. The kids take no notice, pick up the instruments and begin to play.
Once the music begins, a ferocious Genghis Khan comes to life along with five other legendary soldiers played by the band members. Their mission is to stop Khan before he escapes the museum to take over the world.
“When reflecting on all of the music videos we’ve ever created,” said Sundström, “Our ‘Hordes of Khan’ music video was the most exciting in a lot of ways, even though ‘Christmas Truce’ is a much more emotional topic and story. I think this one specifically contains much more depth and action, and in combination with the locations and the actors, I’m confident that it will resonate with everyone!”
The children acting in the music video had their work cut out for them. They didn’t just want it to look like they were playing the instruments, they actually wanted the kids to really play the instruments and perform the song correctly. They thought it was going to be super challenging, but in this case they all learned the song by heart and performed it. “We were really proud of them all! What people see in the video is playback, but all of them know their parts and they can play ‘Hordes Of Khan’ for real,” Sundström continued. “We loved seeing that happen! Our ex-drummer Daniel Mullback’s son played the drums and acted in this music video as well, and he absolutely nailed it. Another amazing drummer in the making!”
Sabaton – featuring Joakim Brodén (Vocals), Pär Sundström (Bass), Chris Rörland and Thobbe Englund(Guitars), Hannes Van Dahl (Drums) – have always had a signature focus on writing songs about historical battles, wars, and acts of heroism that have solidified their impact with their loyal and longtime fans. Sabaton have accumulated more than three billion streams across all streaming platforms and almost two billion views on YouTube.
“11 tracks that cover 11 iconic legendary stories,” said bassist Pär Sundström regarding the Legends album. “This time we look further back in history than we have been the past few years, going to times that I think are very exciting. As someone who’s always been into the history of the Middle Ages, knights and the legends of old, it felt incredible to finally bring those stories into the Sabaton universe.”
‘Templars‘ was the first single and video from the Legends album. Along with the digital release of ‘Templars’, the band offered their fans a special one-sided 12“ vinyl single limited to 1000 copies worldwide.
“‘Templars’ is the first song we wrote for our forthcoming album and it truly brings out the theatrical side of Sabaton,” said Sundström at the time. “From the moment we started working on it, we were overflowing with ideas on how to bring it to life on stage. We didn’t just want to play it – We wanted to show it!”
The video for the song presents a fictionalised depiction of a possible last stand for the Knights Templar. The band members take on the roles of the last remaining Templars, sworn to protect the secrets of their order. The story unfolds as the Templars intercept a letter warning them of their impending arrest for heresy. Soon after, an enemy army arrives on their doorstep demanding their surrender on behalf of King Philip IV of France. Refusing to yield, the Templars choose to fight to the bitter end. One by one, they fall in battle until only a single warrior remains. In a final, desperate clash, he defeats the enemy commander before retreating to the keep. There, he makes the ultimate sacrifice, setting fire to the stronghold to ensure the secrets of the order are lost to history.
The video was filmed at two massive historical fortresses in Serbia (Belgrade Fortress and Smederevo Fortress), both of which provided a striking and authentic backdrop for the epic battle scenes. To ensure both realism and safety, the band enlisted a large group of experienced reenactors, many of whom had worked in film production before. Their expertise helped bring the fight sequences to life with remarkable accuracy. Shot over the course of two long, hot days, the production faced intense summer heat, adding to the challenges of filming, but also enhancing the raw energy of the battle scenes.
As Thobbe Englund had only just rejoined the band after his almost eight-year hiatus, his bandmates wanted to mark his return in a memorable way by making him the last Templar standing, tasked with one final, epic battle.
“We’re thrilled to begin this new chapter with Better Noise Music,” Sundström said. “After exploring various record labels worldwide, we found Better Noise to be the perfect fit. As an independent label, they haven’t traditionally focused on our style of heavy metal, making this collaboration particularly exciting. We’re excited to see how this partnership develops, confident that they’re ready to embrace the challenge of working with a band that brings a unique sound to their roster.”
You can stream/download ‘Templars’ here and check out the video here at RAMzine, also ones for ‘The Duelist’ and ‘Lightning At The Gate’.
