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.
In 2015, four Carolus Rex songs were featured in the Sabaton SoundtrackDLC for the historical grand strategy gameEuropa Universalis 4 by Paradox Interactive. The four included with the DLC were "The Lion from the North", "A Lifetime of War", "The Carolean's Prayer", and "Carolus Rex". Another song ("The Art of War") from Sabaton's The 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]
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]
In 2019, Metal Hammer ranked it as the 20th best power metal album of all time.[10]
"Harley from Hell" (Originally an exclusive on the compilation album Metalus Hammerus Rex, re-released on the platinum edition)
3:50
Total length:
60:09
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"
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"
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"
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".[11]
German metal band Feuerschwanz released a cover of "Gott mit uns" for their 2020 studio album "Das Elfte Gebot".
^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.
