Any fan of the Swedish metal act Sabaton can tell you that those guys sure do love their history. Each record of theirs contains thrilling narratives regarding epic conflicts that have taken place throughout time. With that passion they have for history, it isn’t surprising that Sabaton would do what they can to preserve historic institutions when the opportunity arises.
As reported by Blabbermouth, back in May of 2019, when the band heard that the Heugh Battery Museum was in danger of permanently closing due to a lack of funds, the band started a charity to save it! Raising over £4000 from sales of a specially designed t-shirt, they put the museum’s crowdfunding goal well over what they needed.
Now – given that the band hasn’t had the opportunity to visit the museum in person – they will finally be making a trip there on March 3rd, which is right before the release of their new album, The War To End All Wars.
As part of their visit to the museum, Diane Stephens, the Heugh Battery Museum manager, has invited the band to fire the Ordnance Quick Firing 25-pounder – an original British field gun from WWII (which is kept at the museum). The gun is used for ceremonial occasions, and well, a heavy metal band saving a museum seems like a perfect reason to pull it out.
Regarding the situation of the museum being saved, Stephens says, “Sabaton have been a huge support to us in our fundraising efforts and for that we hope to show our gratitude. We really believe that their music brings history to a wide audience who then become visitors to the museums of the world — so they support many museums, not just us.”
She continues, “This is a huge achievement and one which should be acknowledged and applauded. Being invited to fire our gun is a gesture of our appreciation of the band and their attitude to keeping history in the minds of those who may not otherwise engage with these momentous historic events and figures.”
The honor of firing the gun will go to guitarist Chris Rörland, who is a veteran of the Swedish army.
Museums allow us the means to revisit our past, to see worlds before our time, and to learn from those periods. It is tremendously cool to not only see Sabaton help save this institution, but to also be rewarded in such a bad ass way!
Sabaton’s upcoming new album, The War To End All Wars, arrives March 4th. You can check out the lyric video for their song “Resist And Bite” below:
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Words by: Michael Pementel
