Gallery, ReviewDitch This MagazineSeptember 06, 2025gallery, live, melbourne, Odin Imaging, Nathan Goldsworthy, odin imaging, Destroy All Lines, The Forum, Amaranthe, Sabaton, Margaret Court

Sabaton + Amaranthe @ Margaret Court Arena 05-09-25

Gallery, ReviewDitch This MagazineSeptember 06, 2025gallery, live, melbourne, Odin Imaging, Nathan Goldsworthy, odin imaging, Destroy All Lines, The Forum, Amaranthe, Sabaton, Margaret Court

photos: Nathan Goldsworthy @odin.imaging

Sabaton’s return to Australia has been a long time coming, and at Margaret Court Arena they showed exactly why their reputation as one of the world’s great live metal acts holds strong. This wasn’t a casual victory lap—it was a tightly executed campaign, staged with the precision and force of a band who have spent over two decades perfecting their craft.

The evening opened with compatriots Amaranthe, who wasted no time in shaking the room to life. Their three-vocal attack—soaring cleans, gritty growls, and sleek melodies—was as sharp as it was polished, shifting effortlessly from pop-laced choruses to crushing heaviness. It was a short, punchy set that showed off why they’ve become one of the most modern and adaptable forces in European metal. The crowd latched onto it instantly, moving hard and early, and by the time they walked off the stage the temperature in the arena had risen several notches.

When Sabaton emerged, the atmosphere shifted immediately. Joakim Brodén carried himself less like a frontman and more like a commander, his voice cutting through the chaos while his easy humour kept the mood grounded. The crowd responded in kind, chanting, surging, and throwing themselves into every chorus with the energy of troops rallying at the front line.

What Sabaton do best is not just deliver a set of songs, but blur the line between spectacle and storytelling. The scale was massive—circle pits spinning, reminded that the battles Sabaton sing of are more than just metaphors Joakim Brodén handed a pink Hello Kitty guitar, kicking off a crowd-wide Master of Puppets sing-along That mix carried through the entire set—moments of banter and absurdity punctuating an otherwise relentless march of riffs, and history-drenched storytelling.

The Melbourne crowd matched the chaos, with two punters dressed as bananas sparking chants of “BANANA!” that swept the floor like a pack of minions. Later, before Christmas Truce, bassist Pär Sundström recalled their 2013 Australian tour when they barely drew 100 people, then asked the entire arena to light up their phones. The result—a glowing “Christmas tree” of thousands—was a striking reminder of just how far the band has come. His stunned reaction, “Wow, you really have multiplied,” as the moved into “Christmas Truce”.

And then the spectacle surged again. The lights cut, an air raid siren pierced the dark, and Night Witches hit with devastating force. Cliffs of Gallipoli—how could they not play that for Aussie crowds, while Primo Victoria shook the venue to its foundations as the floor jumped in unison, like a battalion marching in perfect lockstep.

There was no encore theatre, no drawn-out departure. Just a band squeezing every last drop of firepower into their set, hammering until the arsenal was empty. By the time the final chords of To Hell and Back rang out, Margaret Court Arena looked like the aftermath of a long-fought campaign: exhausted, drenched, triumphant.

Sabaton didn’t just return to Melbourne—they reaffirmed why their name carries so much weight. Paired with Amaranthe’s high-energy opening strike, it was a night of spectacle, humour, and sheer force, proof that these veterans remain one of heavy metal’s most commanding live acts.