Sabaton

I listened to The Art of War album recently over a long period of not listening to Sabaton. Pretty great stuff, probably their best release. The end of the Third Reich grows near, its time has come to an end is totally stuck in my head. Panzerkampf, 40-1, Union, The Price of a Mile...it doesn't get much better in the power metal category.
 
The problem with calling TAOW Sabaton’s best is that literally every song on Carolus Rex is perfect.
 
I really like Carolus Rex, don't get me wrong. It's got some of the best songs (Carolus Rex, Lion From the North), some of the fastest, most aggressive songs (Poltava, Killing Ground (which translates as Gjuter blod (blood fountain) in Swedish, fucking epic)) (yes I used 3 parenthesis there deal), and one of the most epic trolls in Maidenfans history (Gott Mit Uns). But while it is an excellent album, it's not my favourite by Sabaton, and I'd certainly suggest a few songs lose traction (1648 and Long Live the King specifically are forgettable).
 
I disagree. I love every song and love the way it progresses.

The fade in with “Dominium Maris Baltici” is epic and leads right into the pounding, anthemic “The Lion From The North” which sets up our story well with a description of Gustavus Adolphus. Then moving on to the Battle of Breitenfeld with the even more anthemic “Gott Mit Uns” (which became “Noch Ein Bier” in Wacken, great live song), before coming down a bit for the emotional “A Lifetime Of War”, which deals into the common man’s life during the Thirty Years’ War, but works just as well today as an anti-war song. Then it’s another shift into high gear with “1 6 4 8”, which basically retreads “40:1” and yet it still sounds so good. The pre-chorus in particular is awesome.

We then move on from the Thirty Years’ War and move on to the main focal point of the album. “The Carolean’s Prayer” is fucking epic, showcasing the lives of the Swedish soldiers (and the Lord’s Prayer in the bridge, sung in Swedish, is one of the coolest bits on the entire album). Then comes the title track, which is easily one of the most epic things Sabaton has ever done and a Top 3 song from them for sure. “Killing Ground” is aggressive and features some cool Maiden-esque leads, and “Poltava” is a kick to the crotch for the Swedish empire, as it finally loses its footing. The story wraps up with the incredibly emotional “Long Live The King”, which shows the entire empire’s woe with the death of their king, and the Swedish-only ‘hidden gem’ “Ruina Imperii”, which is bloody awesome, detailing the Carolean Death March, one of the most insane events in history. And then there’s a bonus track (on my CD at least), a cover of “In The Army Now” which is so, so good and actually works within the context of everything else.

I would not hesitate to give each and every song a 10/10. This is one of my favorite albums for a reason, it’s a unique concept album detailing one of the most fascinating yet mostly forgotten empires in history. The Art Of War is fantastic too, but it’s got nothing on Carolus Rex.
 
Alright, it's mostly forgotten in Western culture. Greeks, Romans, that stuff everyone knows about, but the Swedes? Nope.
 
Hardly. Practically, the whole of Eastern Europe is west of Russia.

More on topic, I love Carolus Rex, but it's far from perfect. While it's very consistent, the highlights of Art of War are much better songs.
 
Ariana said:
Hardly. Practically, the whole of Eastern Europe is west of Russia.

More on topic, I love Carolus Rex, but it's far from perfect. While it's very consistent, the highlights of Art of War are much better songs.
Click to expand...
Ok, west from Soviet Union.
 
Diesel 11 said:
You get the picture.
Click to expand...

Sorry, but that picture is inaccurate. Gustav Adolph is pretty much a household name in Germany when it comes to historical figures. He is as famous here as Charlemagne and Louis XIV. When I was a kid I still heard nursery rhymes relating to the Swedes torching the country. Every school textbook here on the history of the period has ample space devoted to the Swedish Empire. It's not forgotten.
 
I blame the American school system for this. I didn’t get a euro perspective on history until senior year and that was an optional class few students took. You’d probably find Americans who don’t know about Louis XIV either.
 
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