THE WHIRLWIND

The usual suspects are all very much present: jazzy sections, melodic guitar, sustained rhythmic section. Did you think of TFK? OK. You're in line. Now, to be honest, the whole of this album is well produced, well preformed, well ? anything you like actually.

It is just lacking of personality. This album consists of a long epic divided into short pieces that are quite different the one from the other and I therefore consider them more as a bunch of songs than a true epic. My fave is "A Man Can Feel" that is a pure TFK clone song. But, the passion and skills are all here. Hectic and jazzy passages, performing drumming: what else can you expect? Not much, I guess. This is one of the best songs available on this VERY long album.

Most of the songs are made of the same mould: melodic guitar and decent vocals. It works, but at the end of the day these tracks are quite anonymous and only passable ("Rose Colored Glasses"). The more I listen to this album, the more I believe it is just one out of many.

Let me also warn you that there some flat songs available as well (the combo: "Lay Down Your Life" and the short "Pieces Of Heaven"). The last couple of songs are on the longer edge and they are quite good (finally!). Nothing to write home about but "Is It Really Happening" features some great guitar play while the closing track holds the most poignant melody of all the songs from "Whirlwind".

The "Deluxe Edition" comes with a second CD which includes some unreleased material as well as some covers. If "The Return Of The Giant Hogweed" might sound legitimate (featuring a great Portnoy on the closing and wild section); the second cover song I would like to mention is "Soul Sacrifice" from whom you might know.

This song belongs to my all time fave (especially the long Woodstock version). To have this one played by "Transatlantic was quite unexpected. I am a fanatic of this tune and I was quite interested to listen to the fantastic percussion work and how it was rendered by one of the greatest drummer of the last two decades.

As far as I know, it is the only cover for this huge song and although Portnoy is quite a drummer, the solo recorded during the fabulous Woodstock performance is still unrivaled.

This album is not a masterpiece of any kind. Average music, upgraded to three stars.

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