Holy shitballs! What a night of powerful heavy metal. Such a beautiful fall evening spent with Judas Priest, Sabaton, and fellow metalheads, young and old.
Two-time platinum artist Sabaton, a power metal band from Sweden, opened the evening. The band’s musical themes and lyrics are based on stories of warfare and historical events between countries and cultures, which echoed throughout Cable Dahmer Arena. No one is immune to military conflict, and these stories drew me to listen to Sabaton so many years ago.
Tonight wasn’t just about the songs and the messages behind them. Tonight was my first Sabaton concert, and I may catch hate for this review, but you can’t fight me on this: Sabaton stole the show for me, and I wanted more.
Sabaton’s stage energy, goofy antics, and the tank drum riser Hannes Van Dahl’s throne sat on kept many in awe. Kudos to the riser’s designer. The sound was tight, and the light show did not disappoint either. Lead vocalist Joakim Broden even stepped up front as far as he could to accept a Swedish flag from a fan, then wore the flag as a cape for a couple of songs before it found a resting spot on the tank drum riser for the rest of the set.
Sabaton’s music speaks volumes; it is so powerful and riveting. They are currently working on their 11th studio album and a movie coming to select North American theaters titled “The Tour To End All Tours” on October 30th and 31st.
Tonight marks my fifth time attending a Judas Priest concert, and I hope it is not my last. The opening was cool and unique. Instead of a drop cloth stretched across the stage, a cloth hung from a truss center stage with two small banners to the sides. As the band started playing the “Invincible Shield” anthem, the banner was pulled upwards to reveal the metal Gods staggered on steps around Scott Travis’s drum set and going directly into “Pain Killer.”
The sound from the photo pit differs from what concert-goers hear out in front of the house. Being in the photo pit, I could barely hear any vocals, which isn’t uncommon. After shooting my first three songs, I tried standing in other areas of the arena, but I still found the vocal volumes lacking. Was I the only one who felt this way? Rob Halford’s vocals are strong, and he can still hit the high-octave screams, which were fully on display tonight. So, I was disappointed that I could not hear Rob, Richie Faulkner, or Andy Sneap singing most of the night.
What didn’t disappoint were the tight guitar riffs, bass thumps, drum action, the set list, and when I could hear Rob’s signature power screams. You know the screams I speak of. The screams that caught my ears as a young tween when “Breaking The Law” and “You Got Another Thing Coming” came on the forbidden MTV that many of us would sneak to watch.
The crowd came to rock out, and we did. I need to catch another Judas Priest show before they retire. I will be attending the Sabaton movie on October 30th, and I will see them live again. This bill was badass, and I wouldn’t hesitate attending this show again, despite the less-than-stellar vocal volumes I experienced tonight.
