Gods and Generals

The sudden split of Swedish war history purveyors Sabaton in 2012 left many questions among their sizable fan base, including but not limited to "why?" and "where do we go from her?", and speculation as to whether said band would be able to soldier on (no pun intended) was rampant. Surprisingly enough, the four who left the fold for parts known did not keep their destination secret for long as Civil War was quickly born and began pumping out digital singles and an EP to begin establishing their new brand, whereas Sabaton reformed with an almost completely new lineup and Broden back on the keyboardist/vocalist shtick he'd been on prior to Attero Dominatus. Suffice to say, regardless of the intent of both camps, a rivalry of sorts has been underway ever since as Civil War has sought to maintain a similar lyrical niche while trying to put some distance between themselves and Sabaton on the musical front, and fans have largely been split on how this competition has played out thus far.

Following a rather strong debut, Civil War has ushered in an even more varied and engaging collection of war history steeped metal in Gods And Generals. The musical formula still retains some degree of familiarity to the one that these musicians exhibited while still in Sabaton, particularly the last couple albums prior to Carolus Rex, but has taken on a more nuanced and ultimately denser demeanor. Much of this is due to a more ambitious role for the keyboards than anything contemplated in their former band, which is trotted out right at the beginning of things with an epic harp and orchestral intro to "War Of The World", which ends up on an up tempo cruising number that is a bit closer to an orthodox Judas Priest emulation than a Helloween one. This duel sense of stylistic eclecticism and heavy metal conservatism is further multiplied on the semi-ballads "Braveheart" and "Tears From The North" where piano work takes on a very prominent role and leans a bit more towards a somber mode of storytelling rather than the military style pomp that usually adorns a Sabaton ballad.

It tends to go without saying that the primary point of stylistic separation that Civil War has achieved, apart from a greater variety of stylistic interludes and lyrical subjects, has been their somewhat more conservative take on the metallic elements of their craft. While it's not unheard of for Sabaton to crank out an occasionally heavy and groove laden number to complement their faster and nimbler offerings, there is something uniquely dark and melancholy about "Schindler's Ark" that puts it in an entirely different class, even when not taking into account that Nils Johanssen's vocal persona is far more apt in the ballad department and possesses a greater range of expression. This is even more obviously demonstrated in the album's most catchy number "Bay Of Pigs", where the lead guitars are employed often yet in a very measured and tasteful method in concordance with the song's simplistic demeanor. The principle riff actually sounds like a slight variation on "The Snake Charmer", and despite the generally American character of the lyrics, the song actually comes closer to a Mid-Eastern/North African feel.

Naturally Civil War has still maintained a healthy degree of power metal stylistic trappings that will definitely point to an affirmation of their shared roots with the broader Swedish power metal scene. Particularly on such numbers as "USS Monitor" and "Admiral Over The Oceans" (two songs that actually give off the vibe of a ship being tossed by the waves of a stormy sea), the Judas Priest mode of speed and Iron Maiden inspired gallop happy riffing goodies are delivered alongside a raspy, Dio-like vocal display out of Nils. Perhaps the only thing that's a tad bit restrained about these songs is the lead guitar work, which is reasonably flashy, but compared to the ripping waves of notes that adorned Thorbjörn Englund's contributions to Sabaton's latest studio venture Heroes. Likewise, the closing number and title song "Gods And Generals" veers even closer to Sabaton territory with an almost techno-like intro and a generally triumphant feel that could probably have been passed off as a seminal moment on The Art Of War, which was among the weaker of Sabaton's largely consistent past efforts.

Likening this outing to the old "Tortoise And The Hare" cliche of slow and steady ultimately winning the race might be a bit much since its hardly a slow affair in the sense that such an analogy would imply, but in a general sense, it fits this album's relationship with Sabaton's most recent output. It might be an unpopular sentiment, but in the overall songwriting department and quality of vocals department, Civil War has a slight edge, though at this juncture Sabaton definitely has the edge in terms of technical skill, particularly in the guitar department. It'll be interesting to see where things go next now that Pizza and longtime Sabaton guitarist Oskar Montelius have exited the battlefield, but as it stands, Gods And Generals is the album to own for those craving more of the historically oriented power metal that's been fairly popular of late, though to be fair, Sabaton isn't too far behind. Whether you're in with the Yanks or the Rebs, the battle is sure to be glorious.