The singers name is Joakim Brodén, he is also main songwriter. He sometimes co-writes music with one of the guitarists, but only him and bassist Pär Sundström (the one carving 2021 on the cross) write the lyrics and do the historical research for the song. The guy who is the first coming out of the trenches is the drummer, Hannes Van Dahl, the second soldier out of the trenches is one of the guitarists, Chris Rörland. Second guitarist is the one playing the solo in the video, Tommy Johansson. He is also a fantastic singer, he has another band , Majestica, where he is the frontman, and also his own RU-vid channel where he does lot of amazing covers. Sabaton is one big rabbit hole very worth exploring. Vast majority of their songs are about war history, but they do not glorify war itself, they simply tell stories about persons and/or events (good or bad) they feel should not be forgotten. Well done on spotting Floor's name in the credits. There are many jokes about how that ending with Floor came to be, but in reality, it is part of the symphonic edition of the album, they named it The Symphony to End All Wars. Floor also featured on the soundtrack edition of their previous album, The Great War (there she is actually singing The Future of Warfare). Great reaction, hope to see more Sabaton on your channel, and be sure to check out Tommy Johansson
Great reaction. You might find it interesting that the lead singer, Joakim Broden, has no formal vocal training. A founding member of Sabato, he was the keyboard player, and had written some songs. The rest of the band asked him to sing them so they could hear the melodies. Since the band did not have a lead singer, they asked him to take on that role until they could find one. As he says "They never did. Lazy bastards." If you ever need to listen to songs that reach in and grab your soul, Sabaton is your go to place. Have a wonderful 2023.
This is one of the best "new" Christmas song. Well crafted idea, and a touching true story. Beautifully shot in Chech. And then there's Floor! ⛄👸(The blonde tall guy is Floor's husband Hannes van Dahl, Sabaton's drummer). Have a peaceful New Year!
This is a pretty good introduction to Sabaton. Their music is a delightful rabbit-hole. There's also an accompanying channel called Sabaton History that does mini-documentaries on the real history behind their songs. It's a nice accompaniment since many of their songs are about pretty obscure historical events and people.
Excellent job, Happy New Year , the blonde hair guy blown up in the beginning and 1st outta the trench is there drummer Hannes Van Dahl he is also Floor's husband
I’ve seen the music video many times and many reactions to Sabaton-Christmas Truce… Yours it one of the best! Your analytical mind and insight is top notch! Good work! greetings from Sweden! 👍
This is the best analysis video I have heard so far. I also recommend it to your attention the guitarist of Sabaton, Tommy Johansson. He is, who played the guitar solo in this video. As several people have already written here, he has his own RU-vid channel. He made his own cover of this "Christmas Truce" song. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-qYQus1gDimI.html But he made a complete Christmas calendar with 24 Christmas songs/covers too. I think the guy is world-class talented. (Singer, guitarist, pianist, and composer) In addition to Sabaton band, he also has his own band: this is the Majestica. He made a Christmas power metal music record based on a C. Dickens: A Christmas Carol novel. I am very curious about your opinion along with the other commenters. Thank you, and happy new year!
This was filmed in Czechia by a crew used to work in cinema, if you didn't catch it in the credits, Jessie. If you want to continue your Sabaton journey, the most cinematic videos are Bismarck ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-oVWEb-At8yc.html, Fields of Verdun ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xP8G-LwWNn0.html, never forgetting Defense of Moscow ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-9TjXanLjpTU.html with an honorable mention to the animated Night Witches video. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FEWnnUga5tA.html For a fan of action movies and great voices, got to call your attention to Battle Beast's Black Ninja, an homage to cheesy 80s martial arts films and the breakout song for the wagnerian soprano of metal, Noora Louhimo. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-38zmdwd5K3E.html There's a connection between the two bands, when B.B. came out with the song Out of Control, Sabaton liked it so much that they immediately made a cover.
What a great reaction. It clearly shows you know your cinematography - no other reactor I've seen have shown such understanding of the excellent camera work in this mini movie. It was filmed in Czechia with a motion picture film crew who due to the pandemic lockdowns didn't have anything else to do, hence why it's more like a movie than a regular music video. Had you known the band beforehand, you would have realized they split the band members for the opposing sides. Coming in from the right in each scene are the Germans, with Hannes (drums, first to exit the trenches, married to Floor in Nightwish), Joakim (keys, lead vocal), and Pär (bass, writes in his journal). And coming in from the left are the British with Chris (guitar, 2nd out of the trenches) and French with Tommy (guitar, acoustic guitar solo, also lead singer of his band Majestica). They all meet in no-man's land and unite, just as the lyrics suggests. It took Sabaton several years to finish this song as they wanted it to be just right, as the topic is so important. The main "theme" is a variation of Carol of the Bells, since Joakim said he wanted it to sound Cristmas-y, and for the last two runs, he switched it to be the actual notes, as a homage. It's also one of very few metal waltzes! More to react from Sabaton would be "En livstid i krig" (A lifetime of war) live from Gothenburg and "No bullets fly", "The Red Baron", "Night witches" and "Lady of the Dark" (all animated story versions). Another cinematic video is "Bismark". Greetings from Sweden! 😊🤘🏻
Once again I’m reminded about breadth of ways you expose the impact of the music, not just vocally. You didn’t speak as much on the quality of the vocal performance but more in the big picture of the function of different pieces of the puzzle. Great video!
Awesome reaction and genuine intrigue into the band. Sabaton is an awesome band with amazing story telling. Definitely worth checking out more of them!
Great analysis! I’ve watched this video so many times but you have helped me discover so many new things in the video and the music. This song gives me goose bumps every time!
Just browsing and this popped up. You did a great job! You really jumped into this. Others did a great job explaing things you didnt know or missed so i wont rehash all that. Now i need to explore more of your videos. Keep up the great work!
FWIW, although the band is indeed Swedish, the word "sabaton" is English. It's an item of a late-mediaeval armoured harness - the part that protects the knight's foot and ankle. So it's pronounced with a sibilant, rather than voiced, "s".
Top job as usual. As a music lover and someone from a military family (I'm ex soldier, son of a Soldier, Grandson of a Soldier and I'm the Father of two Soldiers) I was brought up on these stories. Interesting side story on this advent is a British Soldier was petting their trench cat .Arthur. A German Soldier came up to him and asked why he was calling the cat Arthur? Seams the same cats name was Otto when he was in the German trenches. Nice analysis, thank you. I must admit i am a bit disappointed that Floor's beautiful ending from the music video didn't seem to make it to the album version. Ah well,. "c’est la vieh"
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning. We will remember them.
10+ albums of Sabatonic Metal to go - History taught with Metal. They also have Sabaton History Channel to expand on the events/people they sing about.
Masterclass is a good way to describe what you've done here. I really like this song, but an informed and thoughtful analysis always enhances the experience. Well done. Keep up the good work. (And thanks for letting the song play to the end. So many people bail out when they see the credits start to roll, but the orchestral restating of the theme and the slight melodic variations by Floor on the vocals are part of the whole package.) Thanks again.
It was interesting watching your reaction once the credits rolled and Floor starting singing. You looked at the screen, looked away, and you were thinking you had heard that voice. The guy at the start of the video, with the grenade...is her husband. And, if you like metal and history, you've just scratched the surface of what Sabaton is/does. Enjoy! To add: you mentioned the clear diction; when you're telling a historical story, it's good if the audience can understand it, eh? i.e. that's no accident!
@@jessicasopranonotes You're quite welcome. I think the thing I found, really, odd is what a Sabaton, actually, is: on a suit of armour, it's the foot piece. In effect, a Sabaton is a metal shoe.
@@jessicasopranonotes I'm not gonna lie, as a Swede I do find it a little amusing how native English speakers bend over backwards to try to pronounce it in Swedish when it's actually an English word. If you wanna have a go at the Swedish word it's "harnesksko", honestly it doesn't exactly roll off the tongue in Swedish so I'm not gonna blame you if you can't manage it. ;) Oh and just a general mostly useless fact, unlike ze Germans we tend to proncounce "s" in much the same way as you would in English rather than as a "z" so even the "Swedish pronounciation of the English word" is pretty similar to plain English, it's mostly the vowels that differ.
@@Skabbe1 Yes, the vowels are a challenge. Because I've been reading a lot of Sabaton posts, I've kept Google detect and Translate open so I can understand what some of the comments are. For the Swedish, I play the pronunciation and try to repeat the words, and as you mention, some of the words don't just roll off the tongue:) I did finally learn how to say Good Morning and Coffee.
For pronouncing names: Easiest way to check it is to go to G-translator, pick the language you are looking after (i.e Finnish, or Dutch) write the name/ phrase/ etc. you are unsure about and press "listen" 👍 Nightwish army Finland "How's The Heart💜" All?🐿
But it comes from a french root (like that of many items of armour) - a sabot is (or was) a french clog, and those who broke machinery which was taking work from them were saboteurs because they broke the machines by throwing shoes into the machinery.
Floor Jansen (at the end) is a fantastic singer and person with classical training. She has her own solo work on her YT channel, and has been the front woman for the Symphonic Metal band Nightwish for the last 10 years. Well worth checking her out.
Joachim: We need a classical vocalist for the outro. Hannes: I think I have a spare at home. The Doctor: Let me introduce you to the new Mr. Jansen Hannes: That's not how this works. The Doctor: Yes it is. Hannes (sheepishly): Yeah, it is... The Origiinal (you might say): So that's what it means to be a Doctor... of war.
Love your reactions so much. Thank you! We watched a very informative tea time interview with the keyboard/vocalist (band co founder) Joakim Broden and The Charismatic Voice.
3:23 haveing seen combat, I had a female soldier next to me. Damn she was a lioness, there is nothing I could have wanted more from another soldier but what she delivered. When I became an officer, I was gifted a book from my father. A book which he had inherrited from his father. In it was a collection of letters people collcted over the wars faught prior to 1943. One of the letters recounted the truce. It was from a british private who wrote something along the lines of. It is silent today, nobody is fighting here and I'm sitting next to a coalfire smokeing German tabacco. Not found in a captured trench or taken from a prisoner or dead, but gifted from a live German soldier. Marcellous isn't it? I kept that small book in my combat gear throughout my service, it reminded me that all soldiers regardless of country are often more similar to each other than those back home. I know it sounds cynical in light of what we hear comming out of Ukraine, but still it resonates with me and my experience I've had with american or frensh brothers even those we opposed in Afgahnistan there was some sort of weird connection,
Sabaton is a new find to me. Pretty good music, And in the scene where the band guys climb out of the trench, the first guy that comes up the ladder is husband to Floor Jansen. Yes, Nightwish Floor. HAPPY NEW YEAR 🎊🎆
Beautifully detailed analysis of basically everything... far deeper than I have been able to see even after watching this probably a hundred times! I have not seen any other reactor with such, clear, intelligent, and prescient observation of details. "The music nerd in me." LOL! Be proud of that music nerd. It is a beautiful feature. Nurture and revel in the nerd within you! It is a wonderful thing! I appreciate this song even more than I already did just by listening to your analysis. Wonderful job! 😃
Sabaton tells the forgoten Personal Storys of the Soldiers there was in war in the History. Chrismas Truce Bast on the Chrismas Truce between the British and German Armee on the Chrismas Night from the December 24th to December 25 1914 in Ww1
Next try "No Bullets Fly" ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-dslO-3GgenY.html there is an animated intro and two epilogues. Another one, "Shatter Me". The violinist Lindsey Sterling wrote the lyrics about her struggle with the eating disorder anorexia and found the singer Lizzy Hale. When Lindsey heard the song Lizzy wrote to the lyrics she immediately knew that it was perfect. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-49tpIMDy9BE.html
Of all the *brilliant* moments in this, to me the most impactful from a lyrics vs. visuals standpoint is this: in the final line "...when the battle had commenced." Right on "commenced", the piano is obliterated yet the cross still stands. Powerful, powerful stuff!!!! Wonderful reaction Jess! Methinks though you may have found another rabbit hole to go tumbling down...🤣
Great reaction! Thanks for this one. I was unaware of this one, but it is a great idea for a Christmas song. I've been following your reactions since Nightwish. They became a favorite band of mine due to reactions like yours, and a few others, and I went to see them. It was amazing. I think you should check out Lovebites sometime. They're the only other band that I found via reactions and fell as hard for as I did Nightwish. Trying now to go see them as well. Anything live. Holy War is most commonly done. I wouldn't miss Set the World on Fire, Thunder Vengeance, Frozen Serenade or Swan Song (with the Chopin intro!) either though. All amazing. Happy New Year!
Bar none, the line "For our nations, is that why we bury our friends?" I become so emotional. That's the signal of a truly masterful song lyric. It cuts through everything with such sorrow, anguish and power.
I read the diluted sounds were because the soldier that was concussed by the grenade could hardly hear anything after that. He acts "shell shocked" throughout the video as well. The singer was the "interim" singer, he is the keyboard player. It's a running gag that he states the band is too lazy to find a real vocalist. I love his voice, so much emotion. Concerts of them are giant singalongs with Joakim sometimes just letting the crowd finish the song. If you want to look at a few brilliant pieces of video, Angst and Deutchland from Rammstein are brilliant. I do recommend subtitles, the automatically translated ones are decent. The first is about xenophobia, the second about nationalism.
Hope you do Sabaton again, legit this is the first time I haven't skipped trough a reaction because someone was saying nothing of substance like "wow" and "amazing" and this is actually interesting and informational. I'm sure you will like their other songs and break them down just as amazingly!
A you said women were privileged not fighting in war watch Sabatons "Lady in the dark". It's from the same WW1. And also a must see: "No Bullets fly" (as already recommended). Both animated story videos produced by 'Yarn Hub'. I forgot "Nightwitches"....
Seen someone suggest one of my favorite bands already so I will suggest another. I highly recommend the band Ad Infinitum, their lead is an amazing badass of a vocalist named Melissa Bonny. I'd suggest their song "I Am the Storm" as I think it's a great introduction to how talented the band is as a whole and not just Melissa's vocals.
This is an amazing song, very powerful but for me the story is way too moving to watch this without tears. I am an Australian veteran from Afghanistan and Iraq, my father was from the Korea era, his uncles, my great uncles, fought in the first and second world wars (the younger one, John, in WWII and Charlie, in WWI). Having known uncle Charlie growing up as a kid, I have a personal connection with this war and the emotion is connected to me, if you like, through uncle Charlie. The futility of war is something I totally appreciate especially with the debacle of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan (don't get me wrong, I'm not having a go at the US per se, this was just very poorly handled) and our 20 years involvement, sacrifice, resulting in nothing changing ultimately. I am so grateful for Sabaton doing this and everything they do, this is musically brilliant as well as horrifyingly emotional. Your take on this is just perfect, thank you for your reaction
Knowing how these guys operate, the uniforms are probably correct. And the acoustic guitar in the video existed at the time depicted. It is a 1914 Martin.
Another testament to the power of music is that the Christmas Truce actually started due to the allied soldiers hearing the German solider singing Silent Night on Christmas Eve as that is when Christmas is traditionally celebrated in Germany. They started singing carols back and forth and it progressed from there. Ironically, when Austria Hungary first invaded Serbia it was thought that the war would be over by Christmas. Generals were so outraged at what happened this first Christmas that every year after they deliberately scheduled arterilly barrages to prevent any further spontaneous truces.
You start with talking about women on the front. You Should have a look at the full animated yarnhub versions of sabatons night witches and lady of the dark.
Great reaction, loved the way you bridged the music and visuals. But as you could not recognize Floor it must be time to do another Nightwish. May I recommend 'Yours Is An Empty Hope' Live at wembley. You will hear a side of Floor's voice you are still unfamiliar with.
This was a great reaction. Sabaton has a large collection of songs in the military genre. Some I would recommend are: "The Ballad of Bull", "Bismark", "No Bullets Fly", and "Dreadnought". I would also like to recommend the live versions of "Unchained Melody" and "You've Lost That Lovin Feeling" by the Righteous Brothers'
Joakim Brodén - Singer, Keys, founding band member Pär Sundström - Bass, founding band member Chris Rörland - Guitar Tommy Johansson - Guitar Hannes Van Dahl - Drums, Floor Jansen's husband
The band members are the ones with long hair, apart from lead singer, Joakim! The Czech film crew did a fantastic job. Yep, Hannes the drummer (concussed by the grenade), his wife was singing at the end. Making us all melt and cry. Sabaton do lots of war themed songs, with research, showing the humanity, they have their own History channel too.
Wonderful analysis :-) As already written I came for a vocal analysis but got a great interpretation of the (stunning) visuals. Well done. From Sabaton I'd recommend No bullets fly from genobondo. Great story and well done song. For another band with a vocalist worth studying an idea would be Beast in black (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2N4tXf3Ensw.html = Blind and frozen fitting to winter time). Keep going! And a happy and healthy new year to everyone!
Such a great reaction. I am very taken by your analysis. I think if you want to do metal but stay away from the really really rough bands, you could do some of the culturally important bands/songs. For vocals, I recommend Iron Maiden - Hallowed be thy name (also storytelling). For storytelling I recommend Metallica - one. And for important cultural hymns, I recommend Manowar - Warriors of the world united (live version), which is also a great example of common imagery and a different kind of storytelling (storytelling purely for metaphorical purposes, and also a bit silly if we're being honest). Love your reactions, it's a breath of fresh air.
If I might suggest - try "No Bullets Fly" (the 8:50 long version with "YarnHub" ) - it's a story of valor, mercy, and the story spans 50 years from WWII to almost present day.
In general Swedes are very good at English booth speaking and pronounciation since we begin learning it from 4th grade and we are exposed to the Englsih language from early age. Not often you get a full explanation of the song how it's done/arranged and how the video is made how the camera angles are. A fun fact is that the singer Joakim isn't a trained singer he orginally joined the band as a keyboard player until the other guys noticec he could sing and persuaded him to become the lead singer.
The thing to remember about this truce and the war itself. Most if not all involved thought they would be home before Christmas. But here they where living in primitive conditions at best. In all reality this should have never happened but it did. Not sure how I would feel about spending a holiday with someone I was trying to kill and him trying to kill me. Only to go back to the trenches just to continue like the truce never happened.
It's so awesome to see people react to Sabaton for the first time, Metal-fan or not, Sabaton touches you anyway. The band were founded in 1999 actually. I've seen them live, pure, pure, pure awesomeness. As a fan of Powermetal it doesn't get's much better than this. I'ld like to let you know there's another swedish band with a girl singer, they made som stuff together, there name is Amaranthe, this is their cover of Sabaton's "82nd all the way", it's AWESOME. Great video, you've got yourself a sub from Sweden. Kind regards, Simon.
6:00 Hardcore rock and heavy, is very much based in classical. I don't know if it still stands true today, but if you want an all all round trained musician look for the rock and jazz peps
