Carolus Rex (album)

Carolus Rex is the sixth studio album by Swedish power metal band Sabaton. It is a concept album based on the rise and fall of the Swedish Empire, whose monarch Charles XII gives it its title. It was released with both English and Swedish vocals. It is the last album to feature guitarists Oskar Montelius and Rikard Sundén, drummer Daniel Mullback and keyboardist Daniel Mÿhr. It was produced by Peter Tägtgren in Abyss Studios.[4] The album received critical acclaim and commercial success, achieving gold certification in Poland and quadruple platinum in Sweden.

Carolus Rex
Studio album by Sabaton
Released	25 May 2012
Recorded	October 2011 – January 2012
Studio	The Abyss, Pärlby, Sweden
Genre	Heavy metal, power metal[1]
Length	45:09
Label	Nuclear Blast
Producer	Sabaton, Peter Tägtgren
Sabaton chronology
Coat of Arms (2010) Carolus Rex (2012) Heroes (2014)
Singles from Carolus Rex
"Carolus Rex" Released: 8 April 2012 "The Lion from the North" Released: 2012
Limited edition cover
Platinum edition cover

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Encyclopaedia Metallum	[2]
Metal Storm	[3]
About.com	[1]

In 2015, four Carolus Rex songs were featured in the Sabaton Soundtrack DLC for the historical grand strategy game Europa Universalis 4 by Paradox Interactive. The four included with the DLC were "The Lion from the North", "Gott mit uns", "Karolinens Bön", and "Carolus Rex". Another song ("Art of War") from Sabaton's Art of War album was also included.[5]

Reception

As of 18 September 2012, the album is certified gold in Sweden, selling over 30,000 copies (20,000 copies sold is needed for an album to be certified gold in Sweden).[6] As of March 2013, the album is also certified gold in Poland.[7] On 18 June 2013, Carolus Rex was certified platinum in Sweden with 40,000 album sales, making it the "most successful Swedish heavy metal album ever" according to the band.[8] The album is the 74th best-selling album in Sweden after 1995.

On 28 September 2018, Sabaton announced that the album had been awarded quadruple platinum status after remaining on the Swedish chart for 326 weeks, and commemorated this with a number of limited edition versions and merchandise. These were set for release on 30 November 2018, the 300th anniversary of the death of Charles XII.[9]

Track listing

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Theme	Length
1.	"Dominium maris Baltici" ("Dominion of the Baltic Sea")				0:29
2.	"The Lion from the North"	Brodén, Sundström	Brodén	Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden	4:42
3.	"Gott mit uns" ("God With Us")	Brodén, Sundström	Brodén	The 1631 battle of Breitenfeld	3:15
4.	"A Lifetime of War"	Brodén, Sundström	Brodén	The misery caused by the Thirty Years' War	5:45
5.	"1648"	Brodén, Sundström	Brodén	The 1648 battle of Prague	3:54
6.	"The Carolean's Prayer"	Brodén	Brodén	The Caroleans	6:14
7.	"Carolus Rex" ("King Charles")	Brodén, Sundström	Brodén, Ken Kängström	The crowning of Charles XII of Sweden, his belief in the Divine Right of Kings and the Great Northern War.	4:53
8.	"Killing Ground"	Brodén, Sundström	Brodén, Ken Kängström	The battle of Fraustadt	4:24
9.	"Poltava"	Sundström	Brodén	The defeat in the battle of Poltava	4:03
10.	"Long Live the King"	Brodén, Sundström	Brodén	The death and funeral procession of Charles XII	4:09
11.	"Ruina Imperii" ("Downfall of the Empire")	Brodén, Sundström	Brodén	The Carolean Death March and the fall of the Swedish Empire	3:21
Total length:					45:09

Bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
12.	"Twilight of the Thunder God" (Amon Amarth cover, Limited Edition and Platinum Edition only)	3:59
13.	"In the Army Now" (Bolland & Bolland cover)	3:59
14.	"Feuer frei!" (Rammstein cover)	3:12
15.	"Harley from Hell" (Originally an exclusive on the compilation album Metalus Hammerus Rex, re-released on Platinum Edition)	3:50

A Swedish edition of the album, with Swedish lyrics, is also available.

Swedish edition track list

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Dominium maris Baltici"	0:29
2.	"Lejonet från Norden" ("The Lion from the North")	4:42
3.	"Gott mit uns" ("God With Us")	3:15
4.	"En Livstid i krig" ("A Lifetime at War")	5:44
5.	"1648"	3:55
6.	"Karolinens bön" ("The Carolean's Prayer")	6:14
7.	"Carolus Rex" ("King Charles")	4:54
8.	"Ett slag färgat rött" ("A Battle Coloured Red")	4:24
9.	"Poltava"	4:03
10.	"Konungens likfärd" ("The King's Funeral Procession")	4:09
11.	"Ruina Imperii" ("The Empire's Collapse")	3:21
Total length:		45:10

The limited 2-CD mail-order edition of the album includes the English version with all of the bonus tracks and the Swedish version, as well as alternate artwork.

Covers

• Fellow Falun-based metal band Follow The Cipher, which includes Carolus Rex contributing songwriter Ken Kängström, covered "Carolus Rex" on their 2018 self-titled debut album. Metal Injection's review of the album noted Linda Toni Grahn's version of the vocals sounded "more haunting".[10]
• German metal band Feuerschwanz released a cover of "Gott Mit Uns" for their 2020 studio album "Das Elfte Gebot".

Personnel

Band members

• Joakim Brodén – lead vocals
• Pär Sundström – bass
• Oskar Montelius – guitars, backing vocals
• Rikard Sundén – guitars, backing vocals
• Daniel Mÿhr – keyboards, backing vocals
• Daniel Mullback – drums

Guest musicians

• Peter Tägtgren – vocals on "Gott Mit Uns" and "Twilight of the Thunder God", guitar solo on "Twilight of the Thunder God"

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Poland (ZPAV)[11]	Gold	10,000^*
Sweden (GLF)[12]	4× Platinum	120,000
^* Sales figures based on certification alone. Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "Sabaton – Carolus Rex Review (dead link)". heavymetal.about.com. Archived from the original on 3 June 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
2. "Sabaton - Carolus Rex". Encyclopaedia Metallum. 5 June 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
3. "Sabaton - Carolus Rex (guest review)". Metal Storm. 28 December 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
4. Pain interview - Peter Tägtgren (part 3). YouTube. 3 August 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
5. "Europa Universalis IV: Sabaton Soundtrack on Steam". Steam. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
6. "Sabaton – Official Headquarters Carolus Rex sells gold in Sweden - Sabaton - Official Headquarters". Sabaton - Official Headquarters. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
7. "Sabaton: 'Carolus Rex' Certified Gold In Poland - Blabbermouth.net". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
8. "Sabaton – Official Headquarters Carolus Rex Sells Platinum! - Sabaton - Official Headquarters". Sabaton - Official Headquarters. Archived from the original on 5 May 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
9. "Sabaton To Release 'Carolus Rex (Platinum Edition)' In November". Blabbermouth.net. 28 September 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
10. Price, Aaron (1 June 2018). "Album Review: FOLLOW THE CIPHER - Follow The Cipher". Metal Injection. Retrieved 30 September 2018. While the original has more power behind the vocals—this version is more haunting. Grahn adds a different level of depth to the song. The original gave the impression of a song for a destructive ruler; you can hear the power and terror behind that. Yet, Follow The Cipher's version sounds more like a history lesson. This is a ruler who lived in the past, these are the horrible things he did—feel for his victims. It's interesting how giving the same song to a vocalist with a much different style can shift the tone massively.
11. "Polish album certifications – Sabaton – Carolus Rex" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
12. "Veckolista Album, vecka 8, 2020 | Sverigetopplistan" (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Scroll to position 45 to view certification.