Sabaton

Since 1999, the Swedes in Sabaton have been making epic, military-inspired records, combining power metal bombast with classic heavy metal intensity. They're an infamously energetic and over-the-top live act, and Swedish Empire Live (released on DVD, Blu-Ray, and CD Digipak) captures as much of that driving force and staging as possible. Recorded at Woodstock Festival Poland in August of 2012, in front of a crowd of over 500,000, this live record effectively conveys the band's relentless excitement and also the ferocity of the crowd. The between-song banter and rousing sing-along passages are as much a part of the music as the songs themselves, and the crowd noise is treated with as much respect in the mix as the music. "Cliffs of Gallipolli" sounds particularly brilliant. The production is clean and clear, favouring the vocals and melodies. The set list draws from across their six full-length releases and if over an hour of rousing, stomping, wildly infections songs about battle and war is your cup of tea, this live album is highly recommended.