Today’s a good day, metalheads!

We’ve just dropped two brand new songs – “The Duelist” and “Lightning At The Gates”, both of which are from our highly-anticipated album “Legends”, dropping October 17, 2025. You can pre-order the album here.

These tracks give you a powerful preview of what’s to come. They are now available on all major streaming platforms!

“THE DUELIST” – A TRIBUTE TO MIYAMOTO MUSASHI

We’ve always been fascinated by Miyamoto Musashi, as he’s been referenced in countless comics, games, movies and other pop culture, so it felt like a natural choice for us to include him on this album. We have covered samurais before, for example our “Shiroyama” song from our “The Last Stand” album, so returning to this topic feels great.

Born in 1584, Miyamoto Musashi was a legendary samurai who won his first duel at 13 and went on to fight over 60 duels without losing. He is known for his famous battle against Sasaki Kojiro, the “Demon of the Western Provinces”, who he killed with a single strike using a wooden sword. He is also known for developing the “Niten Ichi-ryū” style, which focuses on using two swords at once to balance mind and body. Musashi believed that true warrior strength came from more than just combat, so he also practiced calligraphy, ink painting, and the tea ceremony to cultivate his soul.

Joakim comments: “Miyamoto Musashi’s life journey is extraordinary. His path as a wandering samurai emphasised his dedication to excellence in both combat and spiritual growth. He was focused on the harmony of two swords and the balance of mind and body. His philosophy reminds us that true strength comes not just from physical skill, but from nurturing the soul through artistic expression.”

Pär adds: “Joakim wanted to go back to our roots and create a guitar driven, old school Sabaton song. When we were pairing the songs with the topics we had at hand, we instantly felt that the technical guitar work of the song could be interpreted as technical swordsmanship, and then it was a really easy pick to attach Miyamoto Musashi to the music.”

“LIGHTNING AT THE GATES” – A NOD TO HANNIBAL BARCA

As for Hannibal Barca, how could we not write a song about his legacy? He was a Carthaginian general who became Rome’s greatest enemy after vowing to avenge Carthage for its defeat in the First Punic War. At 26, he took command of the Carthaginian Army and led his troops, including war elephants, across the Alps to invade Rome. Hannibal won key battles against Rome, including the famous Battle of Cannae in 216 B.C., where he surrounded and destroyed a Roman army twice the size of his own. His tactics at Cannae are still studied as a masterclass in military strategy.

To this day, the saying “Hannibal at the gates” is used to express fear or anxiety, or to instil it in others. His legacy is legendary!

Joakim says: “Thobbe and I collaborated on our new song “Lightning At The Gates”, and our goal was to make listeners feel like they’re witnessing a massive army on the march.”

Thobbe continues: “During fall of 2022, long before I re-joined the band, I had come up with this amazing solo melody. I wasn’t very active writing or recording at the time but I knew there was absolutely something special about that lead part, so I made sure to store it in my memory. A year later, when me and Joakim sat down to write some music, things fell into place like a jigsaw puzzle. We had started with the chorus, then worked our way into the rest of the song and when it was time for the solo part I just said hey, I got some magic stuff for this song! It is more than just a solo to me. It turned out to fit very well and the song took on its own life.”