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It's no secret Tommy Johansson won me over with his Higher opus a couple of years ago, and though 2010's Majestic wasn't quite as impressive, the young Swede has upped his game with album number four, the stormy 1912. Based on events surrounding the Titanic, this is Tommy ReinXeed (as he is now known) at his fastest, most plagiaristic, and unashamedly cheesy. This is better produced than any of his previous work, more epic in scope with a greater sense of unity; it sounds like a band playing here, rather than just a computer and a bunch of wav files. A little heavier on the riffs, more gang vocals, and an impressive set of choruses make songs like "Through The Fire", "Challenge The Storm" and "The Final Hour" memorable, whereas others, such as "Spirit Lives On" and "The Fall Of Man" rely heavily on stuff we've heard before, the former on any number of DragonForce songs, the latter, Edguy in their prime. Nowhere is this pilfering more apparent than on "The Voyage", which takes Sonata Arctica's "White Pearl, Black Oceans" note for note. This is not necessarily to his detriment; they also happen to be the strongest songs, featuring well-crafted melodies and excellent vocal performances.

I think Tommy is hammering these out too quickly (though I always get a kick out of seeing one emerge), and with more sculpting of his material, he could have something to rival or perhaps even surpass Higher if he tried. Until then, fans of Dragonland, Rhapsody, Zonata, and Timeless Miracle will do well to give him a chance, as bands twice his age can't produce albums like this even in four year intervals.