Returning with a largely revamped lineup, Swedish power metallers
Sabaton
narrow their thematic focus on their seventh studio album,
Heroes
. Rather than tackling the large-scale battles they have in the past, the band focuses their lyrics on individual feats of wartime heroics. While the scope of the songs might be smaller, the music is still as grand as ever, thanks in part to guitarists
Chris Roerland
and
Thobbe Englund
, and drummer
Hannes van Dahl
, all of whom make their first appearance on a
album. Helping to provide an appropriately epic atmosphere, the new additions make a fine first showing for themselves, allowing
to deliver an album of properly heroic, heavy metal battle hymns. [
was also released on LP.] ~ Gregory Heaney