The worlds of heavy metal and military history have collided many times over the years, dating as far back as Black Sabbath’s War Pigs, with other notable works coming later from the likes of Iron Maiden – who have documented battle stories quite extensively – Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer.
But if there’s one band who’ve evolved that formula to the nth degree, it’s Swedish power metal quintet Sabaton: a band whose live shows are renowned for featuring cameos from Julius Caesar, Napoleon and the Knights Templar amongst their immersive melee of battle reenactments, cannons and pyro.
In September it was revealed that Jackson were releasing a signature seven-string for guitarist Chris Rörland, marking his first artist model since joining their roster four years ago.
The Pro Series Signature Chris Rörland SL7 comes with a 26.5” scale length, EMG 81-7H and 85-7H pickups and a recessed Floyd Rose 1000 series double-locking tremolo, with a Nyatoh body, a three-piece maple neck and ebony fingerboard.
If you tell the man himself it looks like a war machine, he won’t disagree. “It’s definitely that!” he laughs. “I’ve dreamed about my own Jackson guitar since I was a kid, seeing Adrian Smith from Iron Maiden playing his models. I played Jacksons early on and ended up trying out some other brands [ESP, Ibanez, Caparison], but now it’s like I’m finally home.”
Nyatoh is an interesting choice for the body. It’s sonically similar to mahogany but lighter.
Yeah, it’s unusual. It was the Jackson team who suggested Nyatoh, which I was unfamiliar with. It’s nice because it’s not too heavy – it won’t break my shoulder like playing a Les Paul while headbanging. A lighter guitar with lots of tone was exactly what I was looking for.
And the EMG 81/85 set is as legendary as pickups can get for heavy metal tones.
I’ve tried so many pickups over the years. My first proper set was the Zakk Wylde EMG set. I got hooked into that sound. So when we were designing this guitar I decided it was time to go back.
It’s perfect for my needs in Sabaton. When I’m at home, sure, I like to play different styles and dial in different sounds; but in Sabaton, it’s pure punch-through-the-wall. I don’t need something versatile. It just has to be high-gain everything in a good way.
It’s interesting how you use a seven-string Soloist while your other guitarist, Thobbe Englund, sticks with six-string Strats. Most twin guitar bands double up on extended range instruments if they’re going low.
I guess I’m the demon driver in the band! Thobbe is a huge Yngwie fan who’s played Strats his whole life. He’s never tried anything else, though when he played one of my new Jacksons the other day he said it felt like cheating because it was too easy to play! I know sometimes it’s good to work for it, but if a guitar feels easy to play, I’m home.
So Thobbe tunes down, but you can go way lower than him.
Yeah, way lower. He tunes his six-string a whole step down to D standard, but my seven-string is dropped a step to A. We don’t play the same thing; he’ll play an octave higher.
Some people don’t realize Thobbe’s guitars are in the usual spot and mine as super-low. That’s what makes our sound so wide. Two guitar players playing the same exact thing makes no sense to me.
You mentioned Adrian Smith earlier. Is he your biggest guitar hero?
I’ve never met anyone who was an asshole. Even Kerry King was the nicest guy ever
He’s one of them, but I think my main influence is John Petrucci. I got his old Rock Discipline VHS tape when I was a kid, trying to play exactly like him. He’s unbelievable. Maybe it’s a mix of those two; Adrian has these amazing melodic ideas, it’s all about phrasing.
I like to write my guitar solos and I recently started writing them on piano first. It was the hardest thing ever because the stretches got a bit crazy, but it definitely sounded more interesting. When you stay on guitar it’s too easy to stick to the same old patterns. Writing on another instrument is a great way of switching things up.
Did you get the chance to meet Adrian when your toured with Iron Maiden in 2013?
I usually try to stay away, because they say never meet your heroes. But one time we played with them in Switzerland and somebody knocked on the door. It was Nicko McBrain – he sat down and talked to us for a while. At the end he said had a great tip for us: “It’s all for fun. If you don’t have fun, it’s not worth it!” That was a very cherished moment for us, and his advice was pretty accurate.
Another time we were touring with Judas Priest and Rob Halford came into our room. It’s surreal getting to meet some of these heroes. I’ve never met anyone who was an asshole, even if they’re rumored to be. Even Kerry King – I’m sure someone said stay out of his way, but honestly, he was the nicest guy ever.
Pär Sundström and Joakim Brodén are the history buffs. I was really bad at history in school so I just stick to writing music
What kind of rig will you be plugging your new Jackson into?
We’ve switched from the Kemper to the Quad Cortex. I’m still learning how to use it because it’s a bit of a spaceship. The main sounds are based on an EVH 5150 with a Green Scream pedal in front, plus some digital delay.
In the studio, our engineer is a good friend of the band and a total gear nerd. We never really know what we’re going through! We used a Marshall Silver Jubilee for a bit, then a Soldano, then an ENGL. I don’t even know what’s on the albums any more – we’re mad puppets in the studio. Anything goes! There’s no signature sound that gets used on every album.
What’s your approach to writing music around historical events?
Pär Sundström [bass] and Joakim Brodén [vocals] are the history buffs. I was really bad at history in school so I just stick to writing music. We get so many emails from fans; we keep them in a big folder of all the different years and battles.
The songs get based on the album theme. One might be about World War II. Our most recent one [2025’s Legends] was about legend; that was great – they could go wherever they liked in terms of themes.
Some riffs might fit perfectly with a lyrical idea; like Hordes Of Khan actually feels like Genghis riding his horse in how it pushes. But when we’re in the studio I have no idea what the vocals will be about. Sometimes it might sound happy for a lyrically dark song, but it’ll fit anyway.
You now headline the world’s biggest arenas, festivals like Wacken Open Air and even have your own cruise. Are you surprised the band has grown to that level?
Yes and no! We work hard, even when we’re not touring or recording. Sometimes we go up to the band HQ in Falun to make plans, write music or sign stuff. Sometimes it’s hard to see the progression when you are so close to it. You wake up one morning and suddenly it’s like, “Wow – we’re doing this now!”
You have to really pinch yourself at times. I enjoy every second. When you’re standing on stage in front of the audience, with Julius Caesar, Napoleon and other historical figures turning up, it’s the best feeling in the world.
- For more info on the Pro Series Chris Rörland SL7 Signature, head to Jackson Guitars.
