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Sabaton Interview: Par Sundstrom
11/22/2024

 
Hey Warlords,
We have an exciting treat for you! As part of our ongoing efforts to bring you closer to the artists who inspire our epic battles, we had the chance to sit down with Pär Sundström, the bass player and co-founder of the legendary heavy metal band Sabaton.
 
Not only is Pär a force in the music world, but he's also venturing into the gaming industry with his new studio, developing "Lord of Metal" — a single-player, story-driven heavy music festival management simulator. In this game, your goal is to start small and go big, organizing concerts and festivals.
 
Pär shares insights into the band's journey, their passion for history, and their thrilling collaboration with Conqueror's Blade. Read on to discover how Sabaton's powerful music and the epic world of Conqueror's Blade are coming together to create an unforgettable experience.
 
 
  1. "Par, thank you for this interview and the great collaboration! Could you start by telling us a bit about yourself and how Sabaton came to be?"
     

    Hello there, I am Pär, and I am the bass player of Sabaton. I’ve been around since the very beginning, and I oversee the management for the band which we control ourselves. I live my life surrounded by heavy metal music, but I also have an interest in computer games and have played them since forever. Today I don’t have that much time to play games, but that hasn’t changed my interest in games. I like to analyse games. I try to understand them and enjoy them in this way! Sabaton is the first real band I’ve been in. Before that, I played in tiny bands where we just rehearsed and basically never performed live.

     

     
    When we formed Sabaton I had a completely different job but when our album Primo Victoria came out in 2004, I was certain that this path would work. We simply had to give it everything we had and not screw it up!
 
  1. Sabaton has been around for over two decades. Can you share the story of how the band was formed?
    Yep, it’s actually been a whole 25 years! Hard to believe. We initially formed in 1999 under the name “Aeon”, and believe it or not, Joakim, our frontman, originally joined as the keyboard player. We had the intention of searching for someone else but when we realised what he was capable off vocally, that was that.
     
    As a band of young dudes, we had a hunger to make heavy metal – a fire within us all - and that has really helped us along the way. We started with tiny shows locally and within Europe and completed our very first tour in 2006 with DragonForce and Edguy. Back then we couldn’t have ever predicted that it would get to this point. 10 studio albums, movie releases, huge tours spanning continents! It’s been one hell of a ride since then and I think it’s going to continue in the same way! We’re honestly all super grateful for what we’ve been able to experience so far!
 
 
  1. Sabaton has a dedicated fanbase all over the world. What do you think has been the key to your band's enduring popularity and connection with fans?
    Honestly, I think it mostly comes down to the fans themselves. We’re beyond blessed to have such a big fanbase that’s so loyal. They’ve also inspired a lot of the songs we write as we get a whole bunch of song topic suggestions daily. Thanks to them, we’ve uncovered stories that we might have never been exposed to before. So, the combo of a common passion – which is history – and a love for heavy metal creates, in my opinion, an unbreakable bond. It also helps that we tour a lot! Haha.
     
    I think it was also a bonus that we came in the time between physical album sales and the digital revolution. Both me and our singer, Joakim, have always been very interested in it, so we quickly understood how to work with the Internet.
 
  1. What inspired you to write songs about historical events and battles, and how do you choose the specific stories you want to tell through your music?
Well, there are 2 answers to this. Firstly, each of us in the band is really interested in history. I’ve been fascinated by the subject since school, and I don’t watch that many movies and series that are science fiction or fantasy. I try always to find stuff that is either real or inspired by real events. Military history is something Joakim and I are particularly passionate about, so some topics of our songs are a result of our own reading and research. If a story resonates with us, we want to tell people about it. As for the second answer, I’ve already touched upon how the fans send us song topic suggestions, so that also really helps! Once we find something that sparks our interest that’s shared, we take a deep dive into the topic. On numerous occasions, it’s resulted in a song!
 
  1. What is one message you hope listeners take away from your music and performances? We want people to remember and feel something. Remember these points in history that we write about. Sometimes the carrier of history is a book, but in our case it’s a heavy metal song. We know that many are just there for the metal but they kinda also remember the story behind the song.
 
  1. "Lion from the North" has a powerful connection to King Gustavus Adolphus. What drew you to his story and what do you hope listeners take away from this song?

     

    We wanted to pay tribute to his legacy. Gustavus Adolphus is considered one of Sweden’s greatest kings, and we are Swedish. He was the architect of the Swedish Empire and was a master of modern warfare and statesmanship. He was so highly regarded that he was posthumously honoured as Gustav Adolf the Great. We feel that “The Lion From The North” is a powerful song with a powerful story behind it, and we hope listeners enjoy it as much as we do!
 
 
  1. How does it feel to see your music incorporated into a video game like Conqueror's Blade? Do you think it brings a new dimension to how fans experience your songs?
Absolutely. The moment Booming Tech reached out and explained that they are big fans and presented their game, I liked the idea. I think the collaboration is going to make the players experience of Conqueror’s Blade even more epic! It feels good have our music be part of such a great game! We’re all really excited about it. And the way it’s being done is really cool too!
 
  1. Your fans are passionate about both your music and history. How do you hope this collaboration will enhance their appreciation for both?
This game can get pretty intense with a powerful soundtrack and is about the same things that we sing about. As our music is mostly about military history, we feel the game and Sabaton go hand-in-hand. It really is a perfect fit! I think our fans will understand this collaboration since we are so close.
 
  1. Can you share any behind-the-scenes stories or memorable moments from the process of the collaboration process? You were on a North American tour during that time, correct?
I remember the first connection with Booming Tech very well, and the calls that followed. And once we started to work on the concept art, I liked how the guys at Booming Tech really understood how to incorporate and adapt Sabaton into the game with dignity. We also had a lot of fun while working on the voiceovers. We were on the tour in the USA and entered a legendary studio in Seattle where I directed our singer Joakim while he did the voice acting. It was great!
 
  1. What was your reaction when you first heard Conqueror's Blade orchestral version of your song? We haven’t heard it INSIDE the game yet. However, when I first heard the drafts for the orchestral version of The Lion From The North, I instantly understood how good the Booming Tech team was at adapting our music for it to become an emotional soundtrack for the game! Well done!
 
  1. How does Joakim Broden and the Sabaton team feel about Joakim being represented as a character in Conqueror's Blade? What aspects of his persona did you want to see reflected in the game?

     

    It’s really fun! While we are aware how difficult it is to re-create a real person on a computer, we think that the hero in the game looks awesome and badass!
 
  1. What are you most excited for Sabaton and Conqueror's Blade fans to experience during the Battle Metal Event?

     

    It’s a really cool crossover, so I’m just excited for them to experience that! Two worlds are colliding in a really special way, and I see so many stories in this collaboration on the horizon.
 
  1. How has Sabaton's sound evolved over the years, and what can fans expect from your future projects?
I think it’s safe to say we definitely have a signature sound that stands out, but it did take a few years to find exactly what that sound is. We’re comfortable to say we’ve reached a point where we all understand what makes Sabaton Sabaton, but we aren’t afraid to try new things and experiment a bit! Our future projects are going to be really cool. And that’s all I can reveal at this point!
 
  1. Do you have any messages or advice for the players as they prepare to embark on epic battles in Conqueror's Blade with Sabaton's music as their soundtrack?
Enjoy the game. I tried the game before I said anything and suddenly found myself playing epic battles for a whole night. Fun!
 
 
Warlords!
Thank you for joining us on this journey with Pär Sundström and Sabaton. We hope you enjoyed this exclusive look into the band’s history, inspirations, and their incredible collaboration with Conqueror's Blade. As we gear up for the Battle Metal Event, we're excited for you to experience the new dimensions of epic warfare that Sabaton's music will bring to the game. Stay tuned for more updates, visit sabaton.net and we can’t wait to see you on the battlefield!
 
Best regards,
The Conqueror's Blade Team