Resist and Bite
Heroes
Sabaton
2014
Recorded 6-18-2024 between 10:05 and 10:07 AM EDT
Song Meaning: This song is about the Chasseurs Ardennais, a Belgian infantry battalion of 40 soldiers who bravely held of the Wehrmacht (including the Ghost Division) when they tried to defend the K-W Line. Why was it just them? Well, all the other battalions had been ordered to retreat, but they didn't get said order, so they honored their original instructions and held the line.
Comments: I really like the way the fake pre-chorus (verse 4) sounds. No idea why, but I just do.

Stormtroopers
The War to End All Wars
Sabaton
2022
Recorded 6-19-2024 between 10:32 and 10:34 AM EDT
Song Meaning: This song is about the German stormtroopers of the First World War.
Comments: Singing this song is so fast and intense and I love it.

White Death
Coat of Arms
Sabaton
2010
Recorded 6-19-2024 between 10:40 and 10:43 AM EDT
Song Meaning: This track tells the story of Simo Häyhä, the White Death, an excellent Finnish sniper in the Winter War who was feared by the Russians.
Comments: Yeah, this song definitely gives me, "sniper sneaking through the snow to follow a group of soldiers in the middle of the night" vibes.

Bismarck
Sabaton
2019
Recorded 6-19-2024 between 10:45 and 10:48 AM EDT
Song Meaning: Well, it's literally in the name. This track's about the KMS Bismarck, the crown jewel of the Kriegsmarine.
Comments: The moment I get my hands on Legacy: United Tidal Wave, I'm making video of him set to this song. It's so freaking epic.

Shiroyama
The Last Stand
Sabaton
2016
Recorded 6-19-2024 between 10:51 and 10:53 AM EDT
Song Meaning: This song is about the Battle of Shiroyama between the Samurai and the Imperial Japanese Army.
Comments: I swear, every Sabaton song is just a blast to sing.

The Last Battle
The Last Stand
Sabaton
2016
Recorded 6-19-2024 between 10:56 and 10:58 AM EDT
Song Meaning: This song is about the Battle of Castle Itter, where German and American troops teamed up to rescue French officials, and which was essentially the final battle on the Eastern Front during WWII, as Hitler had been dead for 5 days now and Germany would soon surrender.
Comments:

Alestorm
No Grave But the Sea
Alestorm
2017
Recorded 6-18-2024 between 10:13 and 10:15 AM EDT
Song Meaning: The lyrics of this song essentially describe what Alestorm's music is all about - "rum, beer, quests, and mead."
Comments: Okay, this is a funny coincidence. So, I have the Genius page for this song open, and as I'm singing, an ad plays in the corner for Captain Morgan beer. For those who don't understand why this is funny (the only person who probably does is PsioPsia001), Alestorm's first album is called Captain Morgan's Revenge, and their mascot of the same name makes his first appearance on the cover. (However, he looks nothing like the beer mascot, who's based on an actual pirate named Sir Henry Morgan.)

Drink
Sunset on the Golden Age
Alestorm
2014
Recorded 6-18-2024 between 10:20 and 10:22 AM EDT
Song Meaning: This track is about pirates pillaging a town for beer because they're not willing to get jobs to pay for it themselves.
Comments: I love it when bands reference their other songs in their lyrics, so the second verse made me very happy.

Voyage of the Dead Marauder
Voyage of the Dead Marauder
Alestorm
2024
Recorded 6-19-2024 between 11:07 and 11:09 AM EDT
Song Meaning:
Comments: Hmmm, I wonder if the song's story will make less sense since I didn't do Patty Gurdy's voice...
Take 1 (aka me breaking out into a coughing fit)

Uzbekistan
Voyage of the Dead Marauder
2024
Recorded 6-19-2024 between 11:00 and 11:02 AM EDT
Song Meaning: This song is about pirates going on a mission to steal alcohol from the country of Uzbekistan. They evidently make a song about it, as the lyrics mention the president not liking this track and banning them from the country (which didn't actually happen).
Comments: Like a lot of Alestorms songs, this track is so delightfully silly and it cracks me up. ("Pirate Metal Drinking Crew" is sillier, though.)

Soldiers of the Wastelands
Sonic Firestorm
DragonForce
2004
Recorded 6-20-2024 between 1:23 and 1:26 PM EDT
Song Meaning: This (epic) song is about a group of soldiers wandering the wastelands of a post-apocalyptic land to save the world.
Comments: I love apocalypses and I love epic songs, so this track is right up my alley.

Through the Fire and Flames
Inhuman Rampage
DragonForce
2005
Recorded 6-20-2024 between 1:27 and 1:30 PM EDT
Song Meaning: This (also epic) song is about an army, and seems to be sung from the perspective of their leader, who is tired of all this war and wishes they didn't have to take more lives and could just be done with it.
Comments: This song is literally perfect for the Autobots.

Cry Thunder
The Power Within
DragonForce
2012
Recorded 6-24-2024 between 3:16 and 3:18 PM EDT
Song Meaning: Like a lot of early DragonForce material (see the two songs above), this song is about an epic battle, although the exact details aren't too clear.
Comments: CRY THUNDAAAAAAA!

Pixel Prison
Warp Speed Warriors
DragonForce
2024
Recorded 6-24-2024 between 3:20 and 3:24 PM EDT
Song Meaning: This song is about someone trying to escape a video game, and it makes references to Tron.
Comments: I know this song is about Tron, but also gives me Ready Player 1 (and 2) vibes, if I'm being totally honest. Either way, I love it.

Master of the Pendulum
Ghostlights
Avantasia
2016
Recorded 6-24-2024 between 3:33 and 3:36 PM EDT
Song Meaning: Part of the two-album story of Aaron Blackwell (played by Tobias Sammet), an agnostic scientist who's fallen in with a cult, this song is about him encountering the Watchmaker (Marko Hietala), who seems to have some manipulation over time. Presumably, they are seeking his aid, as part of their plan involves redistributing time across the world so people don't have time to discover who they truly are.
Comments: I like that this song is more rock-like than most of the other Avantasia tracks I've heard, which tend to focus more on the opera part of the term "metal opera."

Unchain the Light
Ghostlights
Avantasia
2016
Recorded 6-25-2024 between 2:24 and 2:26 PM EDT
Song Meaning: This is the penultimate track of Ghostlights and, by extension, Aaron Blackwell's story. In it, he and his occultist buddies take the stars out of the sky and replace them with ghost lights, while also, as I said above, redistributing time amongst mankind so they don't get the chance to discover themselves.
Comments: HIIIIIIIGH UP IN THE OPEN SKIIIIIIIES! (Translation: I love Michael Kiske.)

Another Angel Down
The Scarecrow
Avantasia
2008
Recorded 6-29-2024 between 10:38 and 10:41 AM EDT
Song Meaning: Following his rejection in the previous track ("What Kind of Love"), the Scarecrow (Tobias Sammet) is once again visited by Mephistopheles (Jörn Lande). He makes a second attempt to convince him to pursue his dreams and give in to temptation, but this time, he agrees.
Comments: Fun fact, this song gave me enough energy to push through most of my Unicron-centered 4-part finale for the eighth book of my Transformers fanfic.

A Restless Heart and Obsidian Skies
Ghostlights
Avantasia
2016
Recorded 6-29-2024 between 10:43 and 10:47 AM EDT
Song Meaning: Following the events of "Unchain the Light," Aaron and his allies have succeeded in their mission. Under these new "obsidian skies," he muses to himself about what he just did and what he'll do next, and he is also visited by Spirit (Bob Catley).
Comments: I absolutely adore the "Moonshines / Ghost lights" part. It just sounds really good, and it's rather catchy.

Journey to Arcadia
Angel of Babylon
Avantasia
2010
Recorded 6-29-2024 between 11:08 and 11:13 AM EDT
Song Meaning: This song concludes the three-album journey of the Scarecrow, and leaves his ultimate fate ambiguous, with Arcadia serving as a sort of code word for wherever life will take him next. In my personal opinion, based on the lyrics, I think he ends the Wicked Trilogy (that's what the series of albums is called) with renewed confidence and the belief that he'll find love someday.
Comments: Oh my God, this song is beautiful. Just... Tobi, you outdid yourself with the writing.