Swedish power metal band collaborates with naval warfare game, Brodén and Sundström voice in-game dialogue as new single launches
Swedish power metal giants ‘Sabaton‘ are breaking boundaries by joining forces with the massive naval war game series World of Warships and its parent company Wargaming. The band has released a new single “Yamato,” which plays not only on streaming platforms but also in the game itself, marking ‘Sabaton’s’ second collaboration with the franchise following their “Bismarck” single. “Bismarck” has become one of the band’s most successful songs with a total of over 230 million streams and views.
“Battleships are interesting, and naval war stories have been part of Sabaton’s story from time to time. Bismarck was an exciting story for us to tell and a fan favorite, and Yamato is a kind of continuation of that. Our former guitarist Tommy Johansson wrote the song while he was still in the band. We just ‘Thobbefied’ it later, when the guitarist’s duties returned to Thobbe Englund,” said vocalist Joakim Brodén.
Bassist Pär Sundström elaborated on the creative decision: “Bismarck was a really exciting song, but it was never part of the album, and it felt like something was missing from the story. We always wanted to continue it. Over the years, countless fans asked us to write a song about Yamato, and we knew it was a natural continuation of Bismarck. We also wanted the song to sound completely different, and when Tommy wrote the music, we knew it was the right powerful song for this story.”
For the first time, the game itself also features a ‘Sabaton’-themed Yamato ship, with Brodén and Sundström featured in the game’s dialogue. Players can pilot the ship as Brodén, and the game’s battle music can be selected from either of ‘Sabaton’s’ now-released World of Warships songs.
The story of Yamato is based on the true story of a massive Japanese battleship that was built in secret and introduced in 1941 as the most powerful warship of its time. It was designed to win naval warfare and act as the ultimate symbol of power. In 1945, the ship embarked on a famous suicide mission to defend Okinawa. Despite being bombed by aircraft and facing a much larger enemy fleet, the Yamato and its crew never gave up. Eventually, a massive explosion dealt the ship its fatal blow, and it sank in flames, literally fighting to the end.
The music video for the single was filmed in Belgrade last October and features the band on board the Yamato during its final battle as the ship sinks into the merciless sea while the band struggles to hold on to their lives. The ‘Sabaton’ crew endured a tough time during filming, braving freezing temperatures and a constant stream of icy water. They stayed underwater using breathing apparatus and even wore weights under their performance clothes to make the sinking experience as realistic as possible. Fortunately, professional divers were on hand to ensure safety.
The band, who released their album “Legends” last year, entered the top ten of the Billboard Rock Chart for the first time with the song “Crossing The Rubicon” featuring ‘Nothing More’ from the album. The intense pace continues as the band heads to Europe for summer festivals beginning in May, followed by an extensive North American tour running from September through December.
EUROPEAN TOUR:MAY 2026:
31.05.2026 – Poland, Gdansk – Ergo Arena
JUNE 2026:
03.06.2026 – Czech Republic, Plzeň – Amphitheater Lochotín
05.06.2026 – France, Nancy – Heavy Week-End 2026
06.06.2026 – Germany, Nürnberg – Rock im Park Festival 2026
07.06.2026 – Germany, Nürburgring – Rock am Ring Festival 2026
10.06.2026 – Germany, Freiburg – Münsterplatz
11.06.2026 – Switzerland, Interlaken – Greenfield Festival 2026
13.06.2026 – Austria, Nickelsdorf – Nova Rock Festival 2026
15.06.2026 – Croatia, Zagreb – Velesajam, Plato Open Air
17.06.2026 – France, Nîmes – Festival de Nimes 2026
19.06.2026 – France, Clisson – Hellfest 2026
21.06.2026 – Belgium, Dessel – Graspop Metal Meeting 2026
JULY 2026:
01.07.2026 – Spain, Viveiro – Resurrection Fest 2026
04.07.2026 – Spain, Santa Coloma de Gramenet – Barcelona Rock Fest 2026
05.07.2026 – Spain, Cartagena – Rock Imperium Festival 2026
23.07.2026 – Bulgaria, Plovdiv – BE4 Hills / Hills of Rock 2026
25.07.2026 – Greece, Athens – Release Athens Festival 2026
27.07.2026 – Romania, Ghimbav – Rockstadt Extreme Fest 2026
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR: SEPTEMBER 2026:
17.09.2026 – United States, Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life Festival 2026
23.09.2026 – Canada, Halifax, NS – Scotiabank Centre
25.09.2026 – Canada, Laval, QC – Place Bell
27.09.2026 – Canada, Toronto, ON – Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto
OCTOBER 2026:
01.10.2026 – Canada, Winnipeg, MB – Burton Cummings Theatre
02.10.2026 – Canada, Winnipeg, MB – Burton Cummings Theatre
04.10.2026 – Canada, Edmonton, AB – Edmonton Convention Centre
05.10.2026 – Canada, Calgary, AB – Grey Eagle Event Centre
07.10.2026 – Canada, Vancouver, BC – PNE Forum
NOVEMBER 2026:
06.11.2026 – United States, Dallas, TX – South Side Ballroom
07.11.2026 – United States, Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall
08.11.2026 – United States, San Antonio, TX – Boeing Center at Tech Port
11.11.2026 – United States, Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre
12.11.2026 – United States, Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium
14.11.2026 – United States, Wheatland, CA – Hard Rock Live
17.11.2026 – United States, Salt Lake City, UT – The Union Event Center
18.11.2026 – United States, Loveland, CO – Blue FCU Arena
20.11.2026 – United States, Omaha, NE – Steelhouse Omaha
21.11.2026 – United States, Milwaukee, WI – Landmark Credit Union Live
22.11.2026 – United States, Minneapolis, MN – The Armory
24.11.2026 – United States, Chicago, IL – The Salt Shed
25.11.2026 – United States, Des Moines, IA – Vibrant Music Hall
27.11.2026 – United States, St. Louis, MO – The Factory
28.11.2026 – United States, Cincinnati, OH – The Andrew J Brady Music Center
29.11.2026 – United States, Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit
DECEMBER 2026:
01.12.2026 – United States, Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway
02.12.2026 – United States, Philadelphia, PA – The Met
05.12.2026 – United States, Virginia Beach, VA – The Dome by Rutter Mills
06.12.2026 – United States, National Harbor, MD – The Theater at MGM National Harbor
08.12.2026 – United States, Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy
11.12.2026 – United States, Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live
12.12.2026 – United States, Ft. Lauderdale, FL – War Memorial Auditorium
More gig dates will be announced soon.
