Karelia was a French heavy metal band from Alsace formed in 2000 by Matthieu Kleiber and Lionel Vest. Their group initially released the self-titled demo Karelia (2000). Their breakthrough came with the release of the first album, Usual Tragedy (2004), on Drakkar Records. This album featured orchestral arrangements, earning their band the label of symphonic metal. Usual Tragedy was a concept album that explored themes of war and loss through its narrative. In 2005, the second album, Raise, was released on the same label, and it maintained dark and melancholic atmospheres characteristic of their sound. Their band evolved with Restless (2008), which introduced industrial elements and was released by Season of Mist. In 2011, their final album, Golden Decadence, featured guest appearances from Rudolf Schenker of Scorpions. Karelia disbanded in May 2013.
