Who needs Celine Dion when you can have Tommy Johansson telling you all about the tragedy of the Titanic?
What is the first historical event you think of when I mention the year ‘1912’? The establishment of the Republic of China? Roald Admusen reaching the South Pole? The 3.000 cherry trees planted in Washington to symbolize the friendship between Japan and the US? The Summer Olympics in Sweden? The First Balkan War? It must have been Celine Dion’s ‘My Heart Will Go On’ that blocked the sinking from the Titanic from my memory. Why all these historical facts? Since the year 1912, with the tragedy of the Titanic as subject, is what Reinxeed has taken as starting point for their new album.
Just as on other albums ReinXeed brings you typical, lightning fast power metal, wrapped in (mainly) good structures and catchy melodies. Compared to previous albums this ‘1912’ holds less theatrical, symphonic rock elements (in the veins of Robby Valentine) and shifts even more into bombastic neoclassical metal. The album sees a considerable improvement in layered vocals and choruses and Tommy himself comes up with his best vocal performance yet, even though he seems to overdo it a little in the high altitudes (‘Reach For The Sky’). Fine tracks such as ‘The Final Hour’, the rapid ‘Spirit Lives On’, ‘The Fall of Man’ and ‘We Must Go Faster’ are the result. But ‘1912’ is not just all roses: because the tracks often are more or less stuck in the same rapid pace, the band did not succeed in adding more, feel, emotion and variety to the tracks. Maybe less could have been more in this case?
Nevertheless: ‘1912’ remains an album that those who like fast power metal most definitely should will like. And if possible try to get hold of the Japanese edition, as it holds three extra tracks – of which the Iron maiden cover ‘ Aces High’ en the ‘Pray For Japan’, a song written and performed by Golden Resurrection in support of the people in Japan after the earthquake of March 2011 – which are definitely worth getting hold of.
Track list:
1912
The Final Hour
Terror Has Begun
Spirit Lives On
Through The Fire
The Fall of Man
The Voyage
We Must Go Faster
Challenge the Storm
Reach For The Sky
Farewell
Lost At Sea
Reinxeed Alliance (Japanese bonus track)
Aces High (Japanese bonus track)
Pray For Japan (Japanese bonus track)
Rating:7,5/10
Bandmembers:
Nic Svensson – Bass
Viktor Olofsson – Drums
Calle Sundberg – Guitars
Mattias Johansson – Guitars
Tommy Johansson – Vocals, Guitars, Keyboard
Reviewed by Patrick
