SMPT:E

It seems like a dream come true, the new supergroup of prog (like ELP) filled with brilliant musicians, and long epics ... but ... It does not sound very interesting nor groundbreaking ... it sounds like mainstream progressive rock mixed with the Spock's Beard sound.

All of The Above 8/10 Starts this album, and it is a very solid epic that tries hard to be another Close to the Edge ... The problem? While the musicianship is superb ... Well, the song does not excite me a lot. It is missing three things for me (that usually is the problem with neoprog except for FLower Kings) : creativity, soul, and excitement. IT feels a little bland for me.

We All Need Some Light 7.5/10 : This is a pretty ballad with great acoustic work and vocal harmonies.

Mystery Train 8/10 : Excellent short song that really rocks. Many don't seem to like this track though, I may be in the minority. Download it in this site and judge it.

My New World 9/10 : Easily the best song from Transatlantic. IT has the spirit of the Flower Kings and feels like a "Heart Of The Sunrise II" ... while I have a little of a dislike toward some of the bombastic sections close to the end, This is a very satisfying epic with a great introduction, good vocal harmonies and guitar work, and yes ... exciting!.

In Held ('twas) in I 8.5/10 : This is the a strong epic, but flows badly ... but what I like about it, is that it is more exciting than All of The Above. Of course, like all tracks in Transatlantic, the musicianship is very good.

So, this is a very solid album that could have been better if it could have been more emotional and exciting like what you would hear in "The Flower Kings" and Neal Morse's solo work.

My Grade : B+