Carolus Rex (album)
| Carolus Rex | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Sabaton | ||||
| Released | 25 May 2012 | |||
| Recorded | January - March 2012, Abyss Studios, Sweden | |||
| Genre | Power metal | |||
| Length | 45:09 | |||
| Label | Nuclear Blast | |||
| Producer | Sabaton, Peter Tägtgren | |||
| Sabaton chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Carolus Rex | ||||
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| Limited edition cover | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| About.com |   [1] |
Carolus Rex is the sixth studio album by Swedish power metal band Sabaton. It was released with both English/mixed 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.[2] The album received critical acclaim and commercial success, achieving gold certified in Poland and platinum in Sweden.
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. | "1 6 4 8" | 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, Kängström | The crowning and policies of Charles XII of Sweden | 4:53 |
| 8. | "Killing Ground" | Brodén, Sundström | Brodén, 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) | 3:59 |
| 13. | "In the Army Now" (Bolland & Bolland cover) | 3:59 |
| 14. | "Feuer frei!" (Rammstein cover) | 3:12 |
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. | "1 6 4 8" | 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.
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).[3] As of March 2013, the album is also certified gold in Poland.[4] 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. Since its release, the album turned into the #74 best-selling album on Sweden since 1995.[5]
Personnel
- Joakim Brodén – vocals
- Pär Sundström – bass
- Oskar Montelius – guitar, backing vocals
- Rikard Sundén – guitar, backing vocals
- Daniel Mÿhr – keyboards, backing vocals
- Daniel Mullback – drums
- Peter Tägtgren – guest 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)[6] | 1× Gold | 10,000* |
| Sweden (GLF)[7] | 1× Platinum | 40,000^ |
|
^shipments figures based on certification alone | ||
References
- ↑ Sabaton – Carolus Rex review by heavymetal.about.com
- ↑ Pain interview - Peter Tägtgren (part 3). YouTube. 3 August 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
- ↑ "Sabaton – Official Headquarters Carolus Rex sells gold in Sweden - Sabaton - Official Headquarters". Sabaton - Official Headquarters. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
- ↑ "Sabaton: 'Carolus Rex' Certified Gold In Poland - Blabbermouth.net". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
- ↑ "Sabaton – Official Headquarters Carolus Rex Sells Platinum! - Sabaton - Official Headquarters". Sabaton - Official Headquarters. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
- ↑ "Polish album certifications – Sabaton – Carolus Rex" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry.
- ↑ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2013" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Type Sabaton in the top right search bar. Click on "Sok" and select Carolus Rex and see certification.