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Transatlantic - The Whirlwind CD (album) cover

THE WHIRLWIND

Transatlantic

 

Symphonic Prog

4.07 | 1035 ratings

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Argentinfonico
5 stars After 8 years without releases, the supergroup Transatlantic resurfaces from the doldrums with the definitive song: The Whirlwind. Almost 80 minutes divided into 12 parts full of epic and conceptual strength and worthy of such a powerful formation. Here we go in detail with each division (I will do the review in this way as I think its structure and the tough divisions merit it):

I. Overture/Whirlwind (5/5): The opening of the album seems to encompass all the arts that exist in a single indestructible and gigantic energy. It begins as a soundtrack and then teleports divinely over too many terrains in just a few minutes, as if it were finishing off everything in its path and looking for more lands to destroy. All the instruments are superb and pivotal: the hammond appears at exactly the right moments and plays a cautious but prolific role. The bass goes through 1970, then through 1980, then through modern prog... Everything is essential, original and devastating (even the lyrics). From a supergroup, a supersound!

II. The Wind Blew Them All Away (5/5): When it seems impossible that it can happen, the level goes up and up! This starts as a careful and intimate song, but at this point you know you can never trust Transatlantic! It's such a great piece of work, full of outstanding performances and worthy of study. That calmness shatters with the best progressive sound of the 21st century and breaks the barriers of creativity with a solo that slowly rises and pierces every part of your body leaving you blind with admiration. Roine Stolt delivers one of the most powerful guitar solos I have ever heard in my entire life! The bass player here reminds me a lot of Squire with his crazy ups and downs. The drumming is just as masterful as in the opening. The classic ambience provided by the synthesizers very cleverly accompanies the euphoria of the song. Then they decide to close by bringing back some of the initial calm but without letting the exciting fragments disappear. From the second song onwards you are already sure that everything that awaits you is enormous.

III. On The Prowl (4/5): With the bass as the protagonist, the album takes a slightly unexpected turn and plunges us into a bit of funk territory, with a wise hammond guiding us towards the sinister lyrics. The level of epicness has dropped a little, but it was needed! The neatness and the level of interpretation is still monumental.

IV. A Man Can Feel (4/5): "New frontiers, a scary prospect". Perhaps my favourite lyrics of the album... The level of songwriting is on par with any band that has ever existed. So much glory, so much mischievousness.... It's great.

V. Out Of The Night (3,5/5): I have to say that I didn't expect that after the multiple chaos of just now, the album proceeds with a song that seems to be made in the 80s. I like it, but I don't have much to say here. The electric guitar does a nice Brian May-esque plucking, the drums are constantly looking for gaps to place their impacts, and the last part of the solo continues into the next song.

VI. Rose Colored Glasses (5/5): Well, I think it all rises again here and in a big way. Another fantastic lyric! The poetry is on par with the instrumentation throughout. It may sound strange, but I was reminded of The Alan Parsons Project at several points. In the choruses, in the vocalist's outbursts, in the little passages.... The synthesizers play perhaps their best role on the album. This track would be half without them. And it's always just the right note! This band knows perfectly how to thrill fans of aggressive, orchestral-sounding progressive rock.

VII. Evermore (4/5): An opaque Close To The Edge lurks here somehow. Again, no instrument rests and all battle spatially in the battle of evermore! On this kind of album, where the songs and the energy are so prepared, one can't be unfocused for a second. The perfection that is achieved at times is overwhelming.

VIII. Set Us Free (4,5/5): From the beginning everything is a bit funky again... The keyboard and bass sound much more jazzy, changing the direction of the album, but the spectacular synth riff contrasts this tranquillity in a sublime way. The guitar keeps spilling out quality solos and the vocalist hasn't lost a duel yet!

IX. Lay Down Your Life (5/5): From funk we move to deep and decisive metal, with another interesting riff that provides the tension that the album needed a few minutes ago. The heaviest song on the album by far, with ruthless and deadly lyrics that elevate the subtle darkness of the album to its highest point. One of the band's best songs.

X. Pieces Of Heaven (3/5): The amount of styles this album possesses is curious. From a terribly aggressive and detonating theme it follows with a melody that sounds like something out of a Gryphon album. This piece, the shortest song on the album, is a fun and extroverted passage that combines elements of renaissance music with typical symphonic rock. There is nothing new in terms of the instruments played.

XI. Is It Really Happening? (5/5): From the very beginning of the song you can sense that perhaps the most elevated and intelligent moment of the whole album is approaching. Loose guitar chords and drums that slowly build up and achieve a film-like ambience. The keyboard makes for some very interesting arrangements and the bass has to work hard not to be left behind by such complex and heavy rhythms, but it does its job satisfactorily as you would expect. After a repeated lyric dealing with two or three questions, halfway through the song a bloody fight breaks out between the electric guitar and the hammond, and between the two of them they spill progressive blood all over the place. The album returns to the initial process and, therefore, nothing goes wrong.

XII. Dancing With Eternal Glory/Whirlwind (Reprise) (5/5): The perfect ending. The culmination par excellence. The endowment of epicness, emotions, composition, elements, details, neatness, care and responsibility. The instruments perform their best project in the final minutes. The elevation that is achieved in 80 minutes is inexorably augmented the whole time by the unquestioning eye of wisdom and, as you would expect, the final moment is the perfect peak of emotion and teaching.

I'd like to give it more stars and go beyond the rules of punctuation. Transatlantic took elements from classical music, the decisive progressive bands of the 70s, metal and modern prog to make this unforgettable masterpiece. The energy of the album gradually transforms with the excellence of the concept. Transatlantic tries to achieve the highest degree of musical maturity possible and looks for the exact moments to descend, ascend or balance the song. The work done by these 4 men will be etched on the eternal mural of music and its humble enthusiasts. When you know that you have to listen to a record a thousand more times, it is because you also know that it is one of your best musical discoveries. The feeling of knowing that a record will be with you for the rest of your life is incomparable and one of the most special.

A major work.

Argentinfonico | 5/5 |

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