Sweden history ROCKS. Carolus is a new metal band out of Stockholm whom are both proof of that fact and a celebration of it. The band’s “To the Fallen Sons” is the story of the “Caroleans.” They were soldiers of Swedish Kings Charles XI and Charles XII, during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. They were pretty legendary badasses. Often victorious despite being grossly outnumbered.
Of course, I did not know any of that prior to hearing Carolus. Which I suppose is the point. In my instance anyway, the band’s stated mission of educating the world about Swedish history was successful. It is an interesting premise for a Rock band. Other groups have taken a similar approach from different angles. It is sort of like what The Decemberists do with folk history, or the American Revolution, or whatever it is The Decemberists do.
Carolus however, is not playing folks music. Their brand of metal comes from a long tradition or brainy Prog Rock. Think of Dream Theater, Megadeath or maybe even some of Coheed and Cambria’s earlier hard stuff. They hit all of the marks, from an airtight rhythm section, to operatic vocals and plenty of volume. It is a sound they accurately described as, “uniquely mighty progressive rock and metal composition.”
“To the Fallen Sons” tells of an epic battle by the Caroleans with double bass drum and power chord driven Heavy Metal. The song is structured to match the highs and lows of a military assault, from the army’s initial march to the fight’s, “final satisfying resolve.” You can check the song out on the Deep Indie Dive playlist. Follow the links below to connect with “Carolus.”