Well, this is fun; this is actually the first time I get to review a live album for Metal Temple.

More fun than that, this album is by one of my favorite bands of the last few years, Sweden's own SABATON. It's always difficult to truly judge a live release, especially after having seen the band live, so let's get on to it, shall we? First things first, what we're talking about is the CD version, not the DVD (well, at least not yet).

The album certainly has a rich track list, and despite being named "Swedish Empire Live" there's a very nice mix between the tracks of the band's latest masterpiece "Carolus Rex" and their back catalogue. And the band has a hell of a lot to draw from, each and every album they have released so far has had plenty of great Metal anthems to enjoy. And on this release SABATON have certainly pulled out a lot of those anthems to create a very balanced set list. This release is also the first to feature their new lineup (the last studio album featured the original lineup despite being released after the lineup changes).The band have not lost a bit of energy, opening with the bone crushing "Ghost Division", anthems like the more emotional "Cliffs of Gallipoli" are also present in full force, with the very energetic and supportive crowd participating throughout. One thing I've always loved about this band is that they sound better live than on their studio albums.

If you haven't seen SABATON live, it is recommended, as they are a live force to reckon with. This live album does what live albums are truly supposed to do; instead of just capturing what the band sound like in concert, it makes you want to see the band live. Like I said, the set list is varied, "The Price of a Mile", "Into the Fire" and "Primo Victoria" are all present here, and they make up what is without a doubt one of the finest live albums I've heard in years.