Sabaton and Pop Evil Concert Review and Photos
Sabaton and Pop Evil – Hollywood Palladium – November 12, 2026
Sabaton had a stopover in Los Angeles on Thursday night as the mighty Legends on Tour rolls across America, one city at a time. What do you say about a band that sings mostly about history and warfare, has microphone stands made out of machine guns and army helmets, and has a massive drum riser constructed out of a tank – nothing – you buy a ticket, hang out with 4000 of your closest friends, and have the night of your life.
Sabaton
Sabaton is named after a 14th century medieval armored foot covering used by European cavalry units in battle, and the design is featured prominently in the band logo and lettering if you know what to look for. The Swedish power metal band originated in 1999, and is one of the best live bands you’ll ever see. Cool outfits, mirrored sunglasses inside at night, and an array of sky-high pyro and flash-bang effects were just the bow on top of an amazing performance of an incredible setlist of songs.
Sabaton is by no means a casual band – they are the real deal and deadly serious about what they do. Look no further than their website (sabaton.net), which not only lists cool facts about the band, but also a historical calendar, where you can look month by month and see facts and information about various battles throughout history that Sabaton based their songs upon. It’s of note that this calendar section allows you to click on a particular historical event, read up on it extensively, and watch a video put together by vocalist Joakim Brodén and Swedish historian Indy Neidell. It’s a wealth of knowledge and way above and beyond what any other band is doing – if you’re into Sabaton, they want to bring you into the fold and get you up to speed.
Photographers usually get the first three songs to shoot the band from the pit before getting kicked out so fans can see without distraction. This show was different in that we were allowed in for songs 4, 5, and 6. I’m not sure what the motivation was, except that there were explosions and pyro galore during the opening numbers, and my guess is that the band wanted the audience to experience the dazzling showcase unencumbered and without interruption.
The Hollywood Palladium holds 4000 people, and it was packed on Thursday. Many in attendance had dressed up as medieval warriors or as members of the band, with one person in the front row looking exactly like Joakim, sunglasses and all. Many bands have fans that are committed to them and the music, but Sabaton fans are on a whole different level. They love this band and what they stand for, and the live show takes it to a whole different level.
Thursday night was a powerful example of what a band at the top of their game can deliver. They sounded amazing, the pyro was on point, the lighting was a show-stopper, and in addition to looking the part of rockstars, they looked like they were having a blast delivering the goods to people who truly cared about the band on stage performing to them.
Sabaton are:
- Hannes Van Dahl – Drums
- Joakim Brodén – Vocals
- Pär Sundström – Bass
- Thobbe Englund – Guitar
- Chris Rörland – Guitar
Setlist:
1) Ghost Division
2) Yamato
3) The Red Baron
4) The Last Stand
5) Stormtroopers
6) Christmas Truce
7) Soldier of Heaven
8) Crossing the Rubicon
9) Night Witches
10) I, Emperor
11) The Attack of the Dead Men
12) Bismarck
13) Berserker
14) Hordes of Khan
15) Templars
16) Primo Victoria
17) Swedish Pagans
18) To Hell and Back
Pop Evil
I’ve known Pop Evil’s music for a long time, and they always deliver memorable songs with huge guitars and deeply personal lyrics. They’ve been a staple on both Sirius/XM’s Octane and the metal festival circuit for years. I’ve seen them live many times and they’ve never disappointed – Thursday night’s show was no exception.
Pop Evil opened with their first #1 single, 2013’s “Trenches”, and made their way through a litany of bangers, ending with 2018’s #1, “Waking Lions”. Hit after hit played out including another #1 from 2013’s Onyx album, “Deal with the Devil”. It was a fantastic performance, both visually and audibly, and the audience was treated a great show – not just a ho-hum band filling a time slot, but an act people were genuinely excited to see and hear. They’ve been playing together for 25 years, and know what it takes to keep an audience engaged and entertained, and it was obviously a priority to make sure everyone on the floor was having fun.
Vocalist Leigh Kakaty was in great form, and the rest of the band sounded amazing. Dave Grahs and Nick Fuelling traded explosive licks on guitar, while Joey Walser on bass roamed the stage locking in with Blake Allison on drums to deliver a massive sound from the rhythm section. Pop Evil puts on a great show while allowing the audience to have the time of their lives – it’s exactly the rock show you’d want to attend, and they made it happen on Thursday night.
Pop Evil are:
- Dave Grahs – Guitar
- Leigh Kakaty – Vocals
- Nick Fuelling – Guitar
- Joey Walser – Bass
- Blake Allison – Drums
Setlist:
1) Trenches
2) Deathwalk
3) Wishful Thinking
4) Breathe Again
5) Paranoid (Crash & Burn)
6) Criminal
7) Deal with the Devil
8) Let the Chaos Reign
9) Waking Lions
Wings of Steel
Los Angeles based Wings of Steel opened the show, and was the happiest of surprises. I am part of the MTV generation, and grew up on 80’s metal – Judas Priest, Dio, Iron Maiden, etc – apparently founding members Parker Halub (guitar) and Leo Unnermark (vocals) had parents that played the same music in their respective houses. The sound coming from the stage harkened back to a time when the vocals soared, men had bigger hair than their dates, and the guitars screamed – old school. I wasn’t expecting a band I didn’t know to completely blow me away, but Wings of Steel did that and more.
I was also not expecting a band to come out in leather pants at 7:00pm and put on the show of their lives, but that’s exactly what happened on Thursday night. Song after huge song exploded out of the PA system, while Parker and Leo exuded rock star attitude and magnetism in spades. The crowd went nuts at the unexpected revelation, and all of the talk after their set focused on how fun it had been, followed by the requisite pulling out of phones to find out more about them.
Wings of Steel are:
- Stefan John Bailet – Guitar
- Parker Halub – Guitar
- Leo Unnermark – Vocals
- Mike Mahan – Drums
- Mathieu Trobec – Bass
Setlist:
1) Burning Sands
2) Liar in Love
3) Saints and Sinners
4) Winds of Time
5) Wings of Steel
Brooks Robinson is an LA-based concert photographer, and 30+ year freelance camera operator for film, television, and music videos. He has photographed some of the largest film/TV projects in history, and hundreds of music videos in MTV's heyday.
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