Heroes, the new album from Swedish metallers SABATON, sold around 3,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 99 on The Billboard 200 chart.
Heroes has registered the following first-week chart positions:
Sweden #1
Finland: #2
Germany: #3
Czech Republic: #4
Poland: #6
Switzerland: #7
Austria: #11
Norway: #13
USA: #99
Commented the band: “We are proud, happy and extremely thankful to all of you who supported us over the years.
“Heroes has reached higher positions in every country than anything we done before.”
Released on May 16 via Nuclear Blast Records, the Heroes cover artwork was created by Péter Sallai. A number of bonus tracks were made available, including cover versions of songs originally written and recorded by METALLICA, BATTLE BEAST and RAUBTIER.
Heroes was tracked at The Abyss, the recording studio in Pärlby outside Ludvika, Sweden owned and operated by record producer and musician Peter Tägtgren (HYPOCRISY, PAIN).
Heroes track listing:
Standard jewel case:
1. Night Witches
2. No Bullets Fly
3. Smoking Snakes
4. Inmate 4859
5. To Hell And Back
6. The Ballad Of Bull
7. Resist And Bite
8. Soldier Of 3 Armies
9. Far From The Fame
10. Hearts Of Iron
Digipack and U.S. version:
1. Night Witches
2. No Bullets Fly
3. Smoking Snakes
4. Inmate 4859
5. To Hell And Back
6. The Ballad Of Bull
7. Resist And Bite
8. Soldier Of 3 Armies
9. Far From The Fame
10. Hearts Of Iron
Bonus tracks:
11. 7734
12. Man Of War
Digital only:
1. Night Witches
2. No Bullets Fly
3. Smoking Snakes
4. Inmate 4859
5. To Hell And Back
6. The Ballad Of Bull
7. Resist And Bite
8. Soldier Of 3 Armies
9. Far From The Fame
10. Hearts Of Iron
Bonus tracks:
11. 7734
12. Man Of War
13. For Whom The Bell Tolls
Japan:
1. Night Witches
2. No Bullets Fly
3. Smoking Snakes
4. Inmate 4859
5. To Hell And Back
6. The Ballad Of Bull
7. Resist And Bite
8. Soldier Of 3 Armies
9. Far From The Fame
10. Hearts Of Iron
Bonus tracks:
11. 7734
12. Man Of War
13. En Hjältes Väg
Japan – digital only:
1. Night Witches
2. No Bullets Fly
3. Smoking Snakes
4. Inmate 4859
5. To Hell And Back
6. The Ballad Of Bull
7. Resist And Bite
8. Soldier Of 3 Armies
9. Far From The Fame
10. Hearts Of Iron
Bonus tracks:
11. 7734
12. Man Of War
13. En Hjältes Väg
14. For Whom The Bell Tolls
Earbook:
CD 1
1. Night Witches
2. No Bullets Fly
3. Smoking Snakes
4. Inmate 4859
5. To Hell And Back
6. The Ballad Of Bull
7. Resist And Bite
8. Soldier Of 3 Armies
9. Far From The Fame
10. Hearts Of Iron
CD 2 (bonus):
1. 7734
2. Man Of War
3. En Hjältes Väg
4. For Whom The Bell Tolls
5. Out Of Control
“We had the title in mind since before we even recorded Carolus Rex and we already had ideas for artwork years ago,” said SABATON bassist Pär Sundström. “We had a few different ones to choose from, but when we saw this one, we knew it was the right one for this album.”
In a recent interview with The Metalithic, SABATON vocalist Joakim Brodén stated about the songwriting process for Heroes: “As I was writing the album, I was suffering from extreme performance anxiety since this is the first album with the new lineup, and if I had fucked up and written a bad album, everybody would have blamed the new boys.”
SABATON played its first show with new drummer Hannes Van Dahl on November 16, 2013 at the Metal Hammer Paradise festival in Germany.
SABATON recently toured the U.S. and Canada as direct support to American metallers ICED EARTH on their “Worldwide Plagues” North American trek. Opening each show on the six-week tour were Dutch metallers REVAMP (featuring NIGHTWISH singer Floor Jansen).