Carolus Rex

Another album, another band intro: Sabaton is a Swedish power metal band known for their distinctively deep-voiced vocalist, Joakim Brodén, and their lyrics which are nearly all based on historical wars. They are especially fond of covering pretty much every side of World War II, but have also done songs on World War I, the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, and the Six-Day War. Their new album, Carolus Rex, is their first real lyrical foray outside the 20th century (and thankfully not into the 21st). It covers the history of the Swedish Empire in the 17th and 18th centuries, focusing on Gustavus Adolphus, the Thirty Years' War, and the violent (and quintessentially Metal) reign of Charles XII. In general, it's an album about the military prowess and religious piety of Sweden. What's not to like?

There are many things about Carolus Rex that grab your attention, the first being the first main song, "Lion from the North", exploding into your ears like...well, the unstoppable advance of the Swedish Empire. Written about the rise of King Gustavus Adolphus (whose name is apparently being butchered by pretty much everyone today), it starts with a pounding, almost ominous drum rhythm over choral accentuation. Oh, right, the choirs, which are used extensively and to great effect throughout the album and together with the keyboards send Sabaton into symphonic power metal territory where they are apparently quite comfortable. Overall this is a fast-paced (plenty of double-bass rhythm to like), epic, and simultaneously catchy song; I've had the all-Latin chorus stuck in my head all week, which is quite a nice alternative to "Call me Maybe" or something. It's a great song that helped get me back into Sabaton and kicks off the album extremely well.

Apart from this song, much of the strength of the album actually lies in its slower songs and the grandiose touch lent to it by its use of symphonic metal elements. "God With Us" again uses the choirs for powerful accentuation in the victorious-sounding chorus and is in general a fantastic song to fist-pump and/or headbang to. "The Carolean's Prayer" is slower still, with the rhythm of the cross-country march of an army, which in fact is what it's about. Again the choir adds considerable force to Joakim's words and does a really cool and lovely-sounding bridge that I have realized is the Lord's Prayer in Swedish. Its plodding rhythm, big sound, and martial atmosphere really remind me of a less-boneheaded (and American) version of Manowar. In a sadder and less triumphant vein, "A Lifetime of War" is a colossal ballad about the tragedy and human cost of the Thirty Years' War; "Long Live the King" is a funeral march for Charles XII.

Besides "Lion", the album has a couple of faster songs; "1648" is probably the best of the album for fans of Sabaton's older albums; it's every-syllable-accentuated chorus reminds me of "Talvisota" off The Art of War. "Killing Ground" kind of channels some New Wave of British Heavy Metal with its simpler, triplet-based riff and guitar harmony. "Poltava" sounds borderline industrial with a rhythm you can almost dance to and plenty of keyboard melodies (including a solo); it seems at least a bit informed by Nightwish's single "Bye Bye Beautiful".

But wait--there's more! As long as Sabaton was making this album a celebration of their native land, they also released a Swedish version of the album, which cuts down the number of languages to two (Swedish and Latin). Same music and band, but all the English has been replaced by Swedish. I kind of prefer being able to understand the lyrics, but at the same time Joakim seems more comfortable and passionate singing in his native tongue, so it's still pretty great.

Also of note are the covers included in various versions of the album; "In the Army Now" by Status Quo and "Feuer Frei!" by Rammstein. By far the standout for me, though, is their rendition of "Twilight of the Thunder God" by fellow Swedes Amon Amarth. This is the first cross-genre cover I've heard that does an extreme metal song in a non-extreme style, and they faced the problem of how to sing a song that was written with no vocal melodies. Joakim ends up mirroring the melody of the guitars, which still works quite well, especially in the now-anthemic chorus. They also bring in an actual death growler (whose name I can't find) for the pre-solo bridge, which is a nice touch. Musically it sounds clearer and a bit cleaner than the original as you might expect, with some truly fantastic double-bass drumming that leaves the rest of the album in the dust. This song might just steal the show form "Lion from the North" for me.

Is it possible to feel patriotic for a country you've never been to? I'm only a quarter Swedish, but boy does this album make me feel proud of that quarter. The addition of a strong unifying concept, especially one so near and dear to Sabaton's heritage, and their breaking into a whole new era of history  set this album in front of and above its predecessors. I know I say this a lot, but if you hadn't listened to or heard of Sabaton, this album is a great place to start! If you're on the fence, my highest recommendations are "Lion from the North", "The Carolean's Prayer", and "A Lifetime of War". (Links above)