Frankfurt’s Festhalle became the venue for an extraordinary musical event on November 25th. As part of their „The Legendary Tour 2025,“ Sabaton presented a concept that blurred the lines between metal concert, orchestral performance, and theatrical production. Together with the specially assembled „Legendary Orchestra,“ the Swedish power metal giants created an evening that went far beyond what one would expect from a conventional live show.
Orchestral Prologue Instead of Traditional Opening Act.
The evening began unconventionally with an approximately one-hour performance by the Legendary Orchestra – a deliberate departure from the traditional opening band structure. What initially appeared to be a classical orchestra concert quickly revealed itself as a thoughtfully crafted overture to the main program. The musicians interpreted well-known Sabaton classics such as „Ghost Division,“ „Bismarck,“ and „Winged Hussars“ in purely orchestral arrangements.
A fascinating tension emerged: strings, brass, and percussion gave the pieces originally composed for electric guitars and drums a surprising depth. Supported by a multi-voiced choir and sophisticated lighting design, an atmosphere reminiscent of film score compositions from major Hollywood productions was created. This carefully built-up tension prepared the audience perfectly for what was to follow.
With Sabaton’s appearance on stage, the energy in the hall reached its boiling point. However, instead of dismissing the orchestra, the band seamlessly integrated the classical instruments into their characteristic sound. The result was a sonic symbiosis in which heavy guitar riffs and thundering drums merged with strings and brass into a unique soundscape.
Frontman Joakim Brodén once again demonstrated his qualities as an entertainer. With his mixture of charisma, humor, and unmistakable stage presence, he guided the audience through an evening full of historical narratives. Songs like „The Last Stand,“ „To Hell and Back,“ and „Carolus Rex“ were fervently sung along to by the entire audience, while the orchestral accompaniment added additional emotional dimensions to each piece.
Monumental Staging Meets Emotional Depth
The visual design was in no way inferior to the musical performance. Pyrotechnic effects, walls of flames, and elaborate lighting installations provided spectacular moments. Scenery-like tank structures referenced the historical themes that have always characterized Sabaton’s songwriting. Through the orchestral component, however, this already visually impressive show gained an additional layer of emotionality.
This became particularly evident in the quieter passages: when Brodén’s distinctive voice was carried by gentle strings or the choir reinforced the choruses, a goosebump-inducing atmosphere emerged that visibly moved the audience. The historical narratives about battlefields and human courage seemed less martial through this musical framing, gaining instead a more reflective depth.
The combination of metal and classical orchestral music is not an entirely new concept, but the consistent integration throughout an entire evening places high demands on arrangement and staging. With this tour, Sabaton have proven that they can master this challenge. Instead of a mere combination of different musical styles, they created a coherent total work of art in which harshness and harmony mutually reinforce each other.
The audience in the Festhalle honored this approach with enthusiastic response. The atmosphere fluctuated between ecstatic jubilation during the harder passages and reverent silence in the emotional moments – a rare sign that a show knows how to pull out all the stops.
What Sabaton and the Legendary Orchestra presented in Frankfurt is difficult to categorize into a single genre. It was simultaneously a rock concert, orchestral performance, history lesson, and theatrical spectacle. This genre-crossing approach underscores Sabaton’s position as one of the most innovative live bands in the European metal scene.
„The Legendary Tour 2025“ shows a band that doesn’t rest on its laurels but continuously seeks new ways to realize their musical visions. The fusion of orchestral tradition and metal modernity opens up perspectives that elevate the live experience to a new level.
The evening at Frankfurt’s Festhalle will undoubtedly remain in the memory of those who attended – as a monumental sonic experience that united power and emotion, history and present, classical music and metal into an impressive whole.
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Photos by Martin Schmidt/ Picture-Rebel.Com