SABATON's JOAKIM BRODÉN Is 'Happy' About His Band Finally Starting To Crack U.S. Market

In a new interview with The Mistress Carrie Podcast, singer Joakim Brodén of Swedish metallers SABATON was asked how it feels for him and his bandmates to finally start to crack the American market. The 45-year-old musician said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm happy about it mostly, actually. We're still a bit behind. The largest [venue] capacities [that we will play] in North America [on our upcoming tour] is gonna be about five thousand while we do largest in Europe is gonna be about 25 [thousand]. But it still keeps us on our toes. And it's natural. I mean, we're a European band. We started out touring here pretty early and we didn't start touring the U.S. until 2011 for the first time. So it took us a while. And it's a different market. You don't have the same vibe with festivals with classic metal as we do in Europe. So it's easier, I think. So it's easier for European fans, in a way, to discover new metal bands because every country or every city, it feels like, has a medium-sized rock festival where any band from, basically, black metal to heavy metal can play."

After podcast hostess Mistress Carrie noted that European fans can be exposed to different music genres at various festivals while the American festival tend to be formatted more "based on the style of music", Joakim concurred. "Yeah, absolutely," he said. "[There are] lots of crossover festivals, but also the spectrum for what's considered a heavy metal festival of what bands are invited. If you are doing a lot of American festivals, that market, if you will, is locked for a band like us unless you've achieved a certain size, because… And here's the funny thing: it's not about the fans. It's sometimes the business itself, it feels like that: 'No, no, no, no. That's not gonna work in America.' And then when the fans actually discover that band — it might not only be us 'cause we're not the only band who's experienced this transition that, 'Oh, why haven't I never heard of these guys before?' Well, a lot of us have tried, but getting through the noise in the U.S. … But it is also because you have a lot of your own bands [who] are amazing and it's a hard competition, but there's also that wall of fighting your way through the business, because enough people think classical hard, rock, metal, power, metal, and that genre's dead and gone, pretty much. Which is weird because METALLICA is probably the biggest one of them all."

Elaborating on why he thinks it's harder for traditional heavy metal bands to make a mark in both the U.S. and Europe, Joakim said: "Yeah, well, it's less prominent in mass media. I mean, rock radio sure has it — absolutely — but in general mass media, I think there's still some sort of stigma related to being a metal band for enough people on the planet for this to matter. I mean, not if you're in Finland, obviously, because heavy metal is mainstream there. But in most places of the world."

Asked what he thinks it is about cold weather in the Nordic countries that makes fans love hard rock and metal so much, Joakim said: "Yeah, we've been asking that as well. I mean, the amount of heavy metal bands per capita in Scandinavia is pretty damn high. And I don't know why, really. But at least in the days before… well, everybody had a social media computer. I mean, computers we had, obviously, but growing up it was dark and cold during the winter. When you woke up, it was dark. When it's three o'clock in the afternoon, it gets dark again. So what do you do in the winter? You don't wanna be outside when it's negative 32 or 35 or something like that. So you learn an instrument. … And [it's] not only the weather — the culture, the people around you, all of these things are gonna affect your music. I mean, what was the popular music being played to you sort of when you grew up? Obviously, it seems like Scandinavian music is quite popular internationally for some reason, and I have no idea why, but I'm thankful."

Last October, SABATON bassist Pär Sundström was asked by Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station how important it has been for him and his bandmates to break into the American market. The 44-year-old musician, who also serves as SABATON's manager, said: "Yeah, there was a point where it seemed impossible, because everybody told us, 'Guys, you play European power metal. Good luck in America. It's never happened before that a band ever became any popular in in this.' And we had to be strong in believing in ourselves and we had to go and we were doing all a lot of support tours. And we said, 'We know that this is the way we're gonna build it. That's how we built it in Europe. And that's how we're gonna make it.'

"We know that our biggest strength is the guys in the band and our music, and what we do on stage is what matters most," he explained. "And we won't be anything unless we are there playing. So once we sort of had a base to stand on in Europe, we turned our heads and really [went], like, 'Okay, now it's time for America.' And we won't stop. We won't let everybody who told us that it's not gonna work, we won't the them speak to us in that way. They said the same about the U.K. We went to U.K. and made a hundred shows and then we sold out the Wembley. It was just hard work — push, push, push, push, push. And, yeah, I think we have probably done a hundred shows in the U.S. now. But things are improving and they are really doing well. And we are so excited to continue and [we] still believe in what we do."

After Meltdown noted that SABATON has already taken part in some big tours in the U.S., Pär said: "Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We did. And the last year we added two tours where we joined JUDAS PRIEST. They were not really supposed to happen, but thanks to that our old guitar player, Thobbe [Englund], came back [to SABATON], we wanted to kind of get back into the game with him before we went and finished the new album. We wanted to get to play together a little bit. So, in order for that, I went to see if there were any tours that we could jump on to. And JUDAS PRIEST were one of those, so we jumped on to JUDAS PRIEST. And they were great tours. And between them and during that, we could finish the new album and also be really tight with our new old guitar player Thobbe who went on an eight-year holiday [before rejoining SABATON]."

Last month SABATON postponed its previously announced North American tour in order to allow Sundström sufficient time to heal from "inflammation in his arms".

SABATON's North American tour was scheduled to kick off February 9 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and hit venues across the U.S. and Canada, including major stops in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Boston before wrapping April 20 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Support on the trek was slated to come from POP EVIL and WINGS OF STEEL.

SABATON kicked off the European leg of its "The Legendary Tour" on November 14, 2025 at Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany. The band teased the 20-city European trek as "a huge celebration of SABATON's music, storytelling and the incredible bond they share with their fans", featuring "The Legendary Orchestra and other surprises," resulting in "something unprecedented." "The Legendary Tour" was SABATON's first headlining tour in support of the band's eleventh studio album, "Legends", which arrived on October 17, 2025 via Better Noise Music.

Throughout the aptly titled "Legends", which blends rock and history for fans of all ages, SABATON delves into some of history's greatest and most loved characters such as Jeanne D'arc (also known as Joan Of Arc),Napoleon Bonaparte, Julius Caesar and the legendary swordmaster Miyamoto Musashi.

"Legends" is available across various different physical formats and retailer exclusives, including CD, 2CD digibook, 2CD earbook (both including the exclusive Storyteller Edition),11 unique vinyl editions (including a special vinyl color and exclusive artwork each),additional exclusive vinyl colors and a limited box set (including another exclusive vinyl color, the 2CD earbook, and a colored cassette as an exclusive format).

Among 11 unique vinyl editions, each one portraying one legendary figure, "Legends" is available as the "Hannibal Edition" and the "Miyamoto Musashi Edition", which are linked to the song releases for "Lightning At The Gates" (Hannibal) and "The Duelist" (Miyamoto Musashi).

"Legends" is a rock odyssey that transcends time and borders, with melodic guitar riffs, goosebump-inducing choirs, and epic choruses. It marks a bold evolution in storytelling, plunging headfirst into the heart of history's most formidable and enigmatic figures. These are not just rock songs, they are battle hymns carved from the blood and legacy of warriors, kings, strategists, and revolutionaries.

SABATON have always had a signature focus on writing songs about historical battles, wars, and acts of heroism that have solidified their impact with their loyal and longtime fans. They've collaborated closely with its network of specialists, developed over the years since the launch of the Sabaton History Channel on YouTube, to make sure this new album is once again as close to reality as possible.

SABATON continues to work with graphic artist Peter Sallai to create the striking album artwork, and producer Jonas Kjellgren is once again behind the boards from his Swedish Black Lounge Studios to create the classic SABATON sound the band is now known for.

In the more than two decades since the band's launch, SABATON has headlined major festivals, sold-out arena concerts worldwide, and gained a legion of loyal fans by carving out a reputation for being one of the hardest-working bands in the business. Since their 2005 debut album, they've earned gold, platinum, and multi-platinum certifications in territories around the world with their 10 studio albums. Eight of their albums scored Top 10 international chart status, and six claimed the Top 5. SABATON has earned eight Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards nominations, taking home the award for "Breakthrough Artist" in 2011 and "Best Live Band" in three different years, and a Grammis nomination (Swedish equivalent to the U.S. Grammy Award) as "Best Heavy Metal" band. They've accumulated more than three billion streams across all streaming platforms and two billion views on YouTube.

Guitarist Thobbe Englund originally joined SABATON in April 2012 and amicably parted ways with the band in July 2016 to focus on his personal life and expand his creativity. He rejoined SABATON in February 2024.

Photo credit: Steve Bright