SABATON release new single and cinematic music video 'Hordes Of Khan'

Rock Metal Machine
7 days ago
5 min read

Group of five men in medieval and military costumes, standing in a dimly lit stone hall. One wears a white cloak with red cross. Mood is serious. — Photo credit: Joshua Dorfman.

#1 Global Power Metal Band and one of Sweden’s most successful bands SABATON—Joakim Brodén (vocals), Pär Sundström (bass), Chris Rörland (guitar), Thobbe Englund (guitar), Hannes, Van Dahl (drums)—have unveiled their second single and cinematic video, ‘Hordes Of Khan’ from their forthcoming 11th studio album which is due out later this year, marking their Better Noise Music debut. Stream/download the track HERE.

“The story behind our new single ‘Hordes Of Khan’ was a great one to take a deep dive into,” says singer Joakim Brodén. “The song actually turned out to have way more depth than we expected. Genghis Khan wasn’t just a conqueror; he was a complex figure who left behind a huge legacy. He built the largest contiguous empire in history, stretching far beyond Mongolia, and his influence only grew after his death. Honestly, we couldn’t have picked a more suitable subject for the new direction SABATON is heading in! ‘Hordes of Khan’ hits hard, and it’s heavy for good reason. We know our fans crave heavy music, and we’re pumped to see how they react to this one. Hopefully, it’s a track they’ll be blasting on repeat!”

As bassist Pär Sundström explains, "Joakim wanted to write a proper heavy metal song, and as we’ve seen from past releases, a lot of our fans appreciate pure fucking heavy metal! That’s what ‘Hordes Of Khan’ is, and when you listen to it and close your eyes, you can imagine Genghis Khan on his horse, galloping to battle. Joakim composed the music and I actually wrote the lyrics for this one. When I started to work on them, I realised the melody was pretty complicated. Honestly, they were some of the most difficult lyrics that I’ve ever written. All in all, I’m very happy with the result, especially as Joakim has said that parts of the lyrics are some of SABATON’s best to date.”

The music video for ‘Hordes of Khan’ is based in the future, in the year 2045. It was filmed in London at two different locations, the Natural History Museum and at Harrow School, and follows the main character--a young girl--who plays in a heavy metal band and loves SABATON, but she won’t ever have the opportunity to see the band play because in 2039, all wars have miraculously ended. The world is now peaceful, and war is obsolete and therefore, so is SABATON. The girl hears about a museum that’s featuring a SABATON exhibit with all of the band members’ musical instruments. The girl and her band sneak into this museum to check it out. Once inside, they are greeted by a hologram telling the story about the musical instruments of SABATON that contain magic that brings history to life. The kids take no notice, pick up the instruments and begin to play.

Once the music begins, a ferocious Genghis Khan comes to life along with five other legendary soldiers played by the band members. Their mission is to stop Genghis before he escapes the museum to take over the world.

“When reflecting on all of the music videos we’ve ever created,” says Pär Sundström, “our ‘Hordes of Khan’ music video was the most exciting in a lot of ways, even though ‘Christmas Truce’ is a much more emotional topic and story. I think this one specifically contains much more depth and action, and in combination with the locations and the actors, I’m confident that it will resonate with everyone!”

The children acting in the music video had their work cut out for them. They didn’t just want it to look like they were playing the instruments, they actually wanted the kids to really play the instruments and perform the song correctly. They thought it was going to be super challenging, but in this case they all learned the song by heart and performed it. “We were really proud of them all! What people see in the video is playback, but all of them know their parts and they can play ‘Hordes Of Khan’ for real,” Sundström continues. “We loved seeing that happen! Our ex-drummer Daniel Mullback’s son played the drums and acted in this music video as well, and he absolutely nailed it. Another amazing drummer in the making!"

SABATON have always had a signature focus on writing songs about historical battles, wars, and acts of heroism that have solidified their impact with their loyal and longtime fans. SABATON have accumulated more than three billion streams across all streaming platforms and almost two billion views on YouTube.

‘Hordes of Khan’ is the follow-up to ‘Templars’, which was released on 25th April on digital outlets. You can hear ‘Templars’ (which has been streamed over 8 million times) HERE, and watch the music video (which has been viewed over 2.5 million times) HERE.

In the more than two decades since the band's launch, SABATON has headlined major festivals, sold-out arena concerts worldwide, and gained a legion of loyal fans by carving out a reputation for being one of the hardest working bands in the business. Since their 2005 debut album, they’ve earned Gold, Platinum, and multi-Platinum certifications in territories around the world with their 10 studio albums. Eight of their albums scored Top 10 international chart status, and six claimed the Top 5. SABATON has earned eight Metal Hammer/Golden Gods Awards nominations, taking home the award for "Breakthrough Artist" in 2011 and "Best Live Band" in three different years, and a Grammis nomination (Swedish equivalent to the U.S. Grammy Award) as Best Heavy Metal band.

Here are SABATON’s 2025 tour dates, with more shows (including in the U.S. and Australia) to be announced in the coming weeks:

07/06 | Sölvesborg, SE - Sweden Rock Festival

01/09 | Perth, AU - Metro City

03/09 | Adelaide, AU - Hindley Street Music Hall

05/09 | Melbourne, AU - Margaret Court Arena

06/09 | Sydney, AU - Hordern Pavillion

07/09 | Brisbane. AU - Fortitude Music Hall

09/09 | Auckland, NZ - Powerstation

10/09 | Auckland, NZ - Powerstation

06/10 | Istanbul, TR - Zorlu Performing Arts Center

08/10 | Chișinău, MD - Chișinău Arena

10/10 | Almaty, KZ - Baluan Sholak Arena