MAKING OF YAMATO – SABATON ⚡ PART I

From concept to realization

Work on the “Yamato” music video lasted over six months, from concept development to the final touches in post-production.
We discussed the idea and different story options with the musicians quite extensively over a long period.
As a director, I was faced with a complex but exciting challenge: on the one hand, to convey the story of the Yamato—one of the most iconic warships in history, with a tragic fate, a symbol of myth, pride, and sensitivity, especially in Japan. Its story still resonates deeply across cultures. On the other hand, framing the story so that Sabaton would be underwater – it was a request from the musicians themselves. So I proposed a story that would combine reality and myth.

The main idea was to show not a verbatim historical chronicle of events in the video, but to convey, through the visual contrast between the real and the unreal, the idea of eternity as a memory that transcends death. The story is built on a looping effect: the musicians find themselves at the bottom of the ocean and are reborn along with the sunken Yamato. The musicians in the video and the song itself are part of this reviving force. Sabaton exists somewhere on the border between the real and the unreal. They appear as ghosts among the ship’s phantom crew and go down with the Yamato as it meets its end.

Destruction becomes transformation — the souls and the ship do not disappear but become part of eternity.

P.S. Meanwhile, in just 2.5 weeks, the music video has already racked up over 2 million views on Sabaton’s official YouTube channel! 🔥😉⚡
backstage photos by: Ben Alexis & Wargaming