KALEIDOSCOPE

I just bought a copy of Transatlantic's new album Kaleidoscope and my first impression is that Transatlantic has finally found its sound. It is easy to hear the influence of Dream Theater and Spock's Beard but neither dominates. Kaleidoscope is finally the melting pot of the musicians not a mixing bowl of 4 different visions. As for the songs themselves both Kaleidoscope and Into the Blue the two epic length entries are to me pure prog rock goodness. I should note I have the special edition and while the good covers are nice especially And You and I and Nights in White Satin it is the five original songs that shows the maturity of Transatlantic from a disparate group of great musicians into a truly great group.

I have listened to Transatlantic's Kaleidoscope a few times now, as my order arrived early, and it is safe to say that this band has "done it again". The musicianship, production, and creativity on this album are all top-notch. The memorable melodies and 70's prog influence that were present on Transatlantic's other albums are here as well.

Kaleidoscope is Transatlantic at its heaviest, and most complex musically. Prog metal fans who haven't listened to Transatlantic will want to start with this album because there are moments that sound Dream Theater-esque. Just listen towards the middle of "Black as the Sky" - there are some "Dark Eternal Night" style time signature shifts that probably came from Portnoy.

I'm not sure if I will like Kaleidoscope as much as "The Whirlwind" (which I regard as a masterpiece) but time will tell. Nevertheless, Kaleidoscope is a "Shining" album that no prog fan should ignore.

The cd starts with a big epic of 25 minutes "Into the Blue" that contains all the trademarks of the band with a big symphonic sound, some nice vocals, a solid rhythm section, plenty of keyboards parts and some nice guitars soloing. The music goes from a fast tempo to some slower passages were Neal Morse brings the music to a high emotional level. Then the Flower Kings influence is still there with many instrumental breaks, a crescendo building and reaching a emotional peak. While this is not credited, Daniel Gildenlow brings his contributions in the vocal department like every musicians, and we are treated with a nice flute passage that gives a different mood to the music.

"Shine" is a ballad that put Neal Morse voice and the guitar of Roine Stolt in the spot. "Black As the Sky" show Stolt singing and some spectacular bass/drums/keyboards parts that is very original for the band usual style. This will probably be one of the best short songs in their career. "Beyond the Sun" is a nice short song with Neal singing and some beautiful Steve Howe kind of guitar parts from Roine. And then comes the 31 minutes epic that gets a heavier sound and many tempo changes going from slower passages and many moods and styles, some Pink Floyd vibe and some keyboards parts that sound like some jazz stuff of Chick Corea. The vocals parts of Neal at times gets the pop rock style of the 80's. This song has some darker moods, but it's always tempered with some light passages. The final section of the song brings again some unusual style of music from the band with some tasty keyboards parts.

This is another winner for Transatlantic, the songwriting, the musicianship and the production are top notch. All this with a special second cd of covers with a beautiful version of "And You And I" and a interesting choice of songs like "Indiscipline" (King Crimson) and "Sylvia" (Focus).

If you love Transatlantic, you'll love Kaleidoscope.

"Into the Blue"- The closest "to the edge" they ever got to an epic. Appreciate the choir/string mellotron pads. (that actually pop up throughout the album) Also, some of the heaviest riffs they've put out to date. Reprises of themes. Wraps up beautifully. Everything you want.

"Shine"- A laid-back ballad, that actually has some gorgeous key shifts, and mood changes. I was skeptical at first, when it was released 2 months ago, but as another reviewer wrote, it fits nicely within the context of the album.

"Black as the Sky"- Something totally new for them, structurally. A fast shuffle, that doesn't let up for nearly 7 minutes. Think a Kansas jam on speed. The perfect divider for this album.

"Beyond the Sun"- A relatively short breather of a tune. Hints of Relayer era Steve Howe, complete with verbed out soaring pedal steel guitar, and cello. Relaxing, and dreamy.

"Kaleidoscope" - Where do I start? Too many amazing parts to mention. (although the main chorus theme hints at some Snow themes from Spock's Beard). The second half of this epic has a lot to offer. Gorgeous mini-songs. Insane prog workouts. And of course, the grandiose ending.

And this review was written on my first listen. I can't wait until tomorrow to hear it again.

Four and a half stars.

Transatlantic has come out with their fourth album. The impressive nature about this band is that they have somehow managed to transend all of their individual "main projects". In short, Kaleidoscope is a masterpiece.

Into the Blue kicks off things in a very grand fashion. It assaults your audio senses as waves of musical talent blend together, cascade up and up building into the heaviest opening in Transatlantic's history. This is by far the best track on the album as it shifts from heavy prog to symphonic soundscapes with great ease.

Shine is a nice breather song after the epic allows for the Band to show that it can craft short but complex songs that are uplifting and a pure joy to experience.

Black as the Sky is the second best track on the album a tightly written compact song that goes for broke as everyone in the Band has solo vocal and musical segments. Seeing this live is real treat.

Beyond the Sun is a palate cleanser in preparation for the title track closer. It really doesn't work well by itself, but in viewing it as a prologue to Kaleidoscope, it works well. It's a very slow quiet song that is basically Niall and Stolt.

Kaleidoscope is a fine song, not the best that the group has ever done but still worth to be mentioned in the same breath as "Stranger in your soul" or "Duel with the Devil".

It took 7-8 listens to fully come to appreciate Kaleidoscope for the masterpiece that it is.

Into the Blue is the most accessible of the two epics, perhaps because it contains some gentle melodic moments such as a very memorable vocal section from Transatlantic part-timer Daniel Gildenlow and some typically catchy Morseian choruses running throughout. There are some wonderful guitar and synth solos throughout, as well as a really cool bass section. As one might expect from a Transatlantic epic it ends in a grandiose fashion, reprising choruses and melodies from other parts of the song. If that typical Neal Morse structure historically bothers you then I suspect it will bother you here too.

Shine most have probably heard already. Transatlantic seem to always try for a ballad or two and this one is pleasant enough. It's not quite We All Need Some Light, Bridge Across Forever, Wind At My Back or June, in my opinion, but it's pleasant enough. The same goes for Beyond the Sun later on. I wouldn't deliberately seek them to out to listen to but they don't decrease the quality of the album.

Black as the Sky in an extremely atypical Transatlantic. Only 6 minutes?! I guess it's somewhat reminiscent of Mystery Train from the début album, except vastly superior. It has a really catchy chorus, seemingly sung by the entire band and features vocal passages from each. It's quite rocking and has some very cool technical instruments breaks.

The eponymous track took some getting used to. It disappointed me on my first listen and took several listens to appreciate it. After listening to it ten times now I can't help but hum or sing along. The melody that at first seemed so lacking came to the forefront in a big way. Kaleidoscope is an extremely busy track with several different parts, probably with a greater variation than any Transatlantic has had stylistically. There's a particularly memorable vocal section from Pete Trewavas whose voice, although usually limited in range, fits very nicely. As with Into the Blue there are several repeated melodies and choruses throughout culminating nicely in the eventual climax.

I hesitate to say that this is the best Transatlantic album yet as The Whirlwind and Bridge Across Forever were near perfect albums. But it's definitely worthy of a 5/5.

This is awesome... I really didn't expect a lot for this work, but man it completly blew me away (I left another album to listen this, and I think it was worth!) I really don't love Flower Kings neither Spock's Beard, but when you combine this they sound like paradise. Oddly enough I still prefer SMPTe but this one is a must listen out there.

Pros: +Long suites we all love! +Portnoy is better than ever. +Stable sound. +Different (?) artwork.

Cons: -Requires many listens.

Verdict: 4 stars, I don't know why, it simply doesn't fills me as much as SMPTe but don't get me wrong, it is a stellar album: Hope we don't have to wait 8 years for another album (*ahem Whirlwind ahem*)

I can say no more than absolutely recomend the other three records from Transatlantic, if you like Kaleidoscope, you'll love the others for sure.

Kaleidoscope is a stunning album.

It also takes a few listens before you appreciate just how good it is.

The album begins with an epic, Into The Blue, which starts with a quiet intro with birdsong, reminiscent of Close To The Edge, but we are soon into some prog metal which is the heaviest I have heard from this band. Following the overture there are a number of vocal sections, the first of which from Neal Morse contains a very memorable chorus "The Dreamer and the Healer, they wait for you." The second section has the same vocal effects as were used on Pandemonium from the Flower Kings' Bank Of Eden, and then the third section reprises the Dreamer and the Healer chorus and features Daniel Gildenlow with a very nice vocal. The whole piece blends quiet and loud, fast and slow passages together into one complete whole.

Shine is the next song, and is completely different. Many fans will have seen the video of this song before the album was released, and there was a sense of disappointment in many comments, however in the context of the album the song fits perfectly here. Roine has a stunning guitar solo and the song fades out with a reprise of The Dreamer and the Healer.

Black As The Sky I think is my favourite song on the album. Rocking from start to finish, just before the vocals come in there is a synth riff which sounds very familiar - it's the one from Devil's Got My Throat on Snow. But Spocks' Beard connection aside, this is very much a Flower Kings style song with disturbing lyrics about dark forces controlling our lives. There is an excellent synth solo in the middle.

Beyond The Sun is this album's Bridge Across Forever. With the same theme of meeting loved ones after death, Neal's voice is backed by cello, piano and pedal steel guitar in what is a beautiful song. The songs fades out with a cello melody but no sooner has the last note faded than we are into the overture for the final epic.

Kaleidoscope is the longest track on the album and to me is one of the standout tracks. The overture begins with a catchy melody line before visiting several themes that appear later in the song. Then we have a typical Neal Morse section, Ride The Lightning, with some excellent synth lines on top of Portnoy's drumming. The second section is sung by Roine, and is more in the Flower Kings style, and then there follows a nice bit of laid back jazz instrumental and a stunning guitar solo. Then it is Pete's turn on the vocals, and he does a good job with a section which sounds like he could be in a smoke filled lounge bar, sitting on a stool and crooning. Very nice. At the end of that section we get a reprise of the cello melody from Beyond The Sun, which is taken up by synth and guitar before it builds into a crescendo. Then it's time to take the levels down again, not with a section sung by Mike Portnoy as you might expect, but an acoustic guitar and Neal's voice again - this reminds me of the acoustic section towards the end of Seeds Of Gold. The chorus here is a reprise of Ride The Lightning. Then we move into an instrumental section which I would describe as a cross between Pieces of Heaven and the last part of Is It Really Happening from The Whirlwind, with Portnoy working up to a crescendo on the drums, before one final reprise of Ride The Lightning and a fadout with swirling synths and guitars - and you are left feeling elated and wondering where the last 32 minutes have gone.

If some parts of my review give the impression that the band is recycling old ideas, well they probably are in places, but when the ideas are that good, who cares.

In conclusion, Kaleidoscope is a very uplifting album. There are, as you might expect, spiritual themes, but Neal Morse's Christianity isn't as "in your face" as in The Whirlwind and the uplifting feeling comes as much from the music as from the lyrics.

Highly recommended for anyone who appreciates symphonic prog.

Transatlantic does it again with Kaleidoscope. Unlike the Whirlwind which was very Neal Morse oriented, in this album you can hear the influence of every band member. This album delivers on all fronts; it feels like a complete group effort, with vocals from all the band members. The epics are grand epics, complex and frankly just awesome. Black as the sky is really fresh and driving and contains a SWEET instrumental section. The ballads are well placed between the different parts of the album. This album takes a few listens before you begin to realize that what an excellent album it is, but once I did I was hooked.

Given the collective output of the band members, you have to wonder when they will run out of new ideas, but thankfully that time has not yet come! Don't get me wrong: there is still plenty of the expected--and "familiar", to put it nicely--bits, such as Roine going into predictable solo mode (which at this point often sounds indistinguishable at times from previous work), Mike overkilling the double bass, and Neal borrowing, hopefully only subconsciously, from previous materials (i.e., the initial chorus from the closing epic reminds me directly of Wind at My Back from Snow). Neal also serves up his usual share of cheesy and blatty synths. It wouldn't feel like a Transatlantic without these elements!

Fortunately, those are largely nitpicks, because not only is much of the material interesting and exciting, it also features development from the individual musicians. For example, Roine's rhythm guitar work (both the often scratchy tones used and chosen notes) is perhaps the best I've heard from him. Similarly, Mike introduces some new cymbal syncopation, which is the part of his skill set that really sets him apart from many of his peers in my mind. Neal also introduces some new tricks, including breaking out some gritty buzzy synths and even church organ effects, which really helps to re-establish the Flower Kings aspect of the band.

Those guys get most of the attention, but many parts of the epics would feel awfully repetitive if it wasn't for Pete's contributions. Some of the melodies are quite simple, and with Roine and Neal taking turns harmonizing with each other, it would just get boring, save for Pete's excellent tone, mixing, and runs. I honestly didn't know if Pete really had many playing chops--obvioulsy he was quite serviceable, just not something to focus on--until the past few Transatlantic albums, so either he is really stretching out or I was completely wrong! Either way, all the pieces come together very nicely on Kaleidoscope.

Like most folks here, I was interested in this album for the epics, and that's what I'll focus on discussing, as Shine is a bit cheesy and Beyond the Sun doesn't contribute much (although Black as the Sky is certainly a keeper!). In my mind, the epics don't hold together as well as previous attempts. Fortunately, at least for me, they don't alternate between interesting and boring very often. For example, Into the Blue is excellent all the way through the main crescendo two-thirds of the way through. Nice transitions, catchy melodies, and good feel for knowing which sections to extend and play around with. Of course, the downside is that the song probably should have ended there, because the back material is not nearly as interesting, as much as I'd prefer Gildenlow's piece to be. In addition, and this also characterizes the second epic, the "grand finale" reprise is not nearly as impactful as I would prefer it to be, mostly because it sounded better the first time it was introduced.

Unlike Neal's last huge epic, World Without End, Kaleidoscope is simply too long. My edit (yes, I actually go in and edit the song to my preference, for better or worse) is to take the intro (what a fun combination of Focus and ELP-inspired material, by the way!) all the way through the Roine's floaty guitar solo (what lush and majestic mellotron piano combo as well), then move up to Neal's acoustic bit, which leads into the clear highlight of the album for me: those five minutes or so before the final reprise in which the band just progs the heck out. It's simply great: creative, new sounding, tight, and energetic. Prog can be many things, but this is PROG ROCK, and Transatlantic do it quite well. Of course the outro is a bit wimpy and repetitive, but that's nitpick, because it's still satisfying. I would prefer unforgettable epic, but perhaps that's being unreasonable.

Transatlantic might be far from perfect, and the members clearly are not at a place in life that they wish to spend half a year perfecting a top-10 all-time prog masterpiece (though for selfish reasons I would like to hear the result of this was tried!). Instead, let's focus on the positive: these guys are pros, they have great chemistry, their music is very well-produced, and you can tell they enjoy what they're doing. Moreover, I've followed their careers for years and also am happy to support what I perceive to be genuinely nice guys. That's what Transatlantic is for me: a nice, warm prog hug.

Well, here we have the much awaited, fourth Transatlantic release! Well I can say that I didn't expect the lyrical themes to be anything but Christian dogma, and obviously I wasn't wrong! In fact in the last release, we had the whirlwind - the maelstrom of human suffering - obviously contrived by god to make everybody suddenly start to believe in the ranting's of some fourth century misogynists. This time it's the LIGHTNING - aye we have to ride this to get into gods magic go-cart and hey-presto we're all going to live forever. oh goody. Anyway - let's have no more about the mawkish lyrics (well I'll try) and get to the music and content of the CD. Track one - (Into the Blue) the opening epic. This has good bits, and a reasonably lengthy Stolt solo, but for me the patchy good bits do not mask a going-through-the-motions exercise. Not a promising start, and I'd give this track a one star rating! Track Two - (Shine) H'm, lyrically awful and bland, not saved by a very powerful Stolt solo, with the solo this gets two stars! Track Three - (Black as the Sky) - Now here is a saving track! Forget the lyrical content, again it's about the rat race and thirst for money (and of course the saviour is Morse's imaginary sky-fairy friend and his equally legendary son!) - the music is good (some of it lifted from Spock's Beard Snow), but this is a good track musically powerful with nice keyboards, worth having in your collection so five stars! Track Four (Beyond the Sun) - As awful as it gets, pathetic ballad about the Christian delusion of this place where you live forever, pressing flowers, and floating on clouds or whatever - sounds ghastly! Anyway this place is beyond the sun - somewhere, though Morse can't actually tell us if it's even in our galaxy for Dawkins sake! Anybody would think he was just making it up! (zero stars!!! for being so bloody soppy) Track Five - (Kaleidoscope) - The longest and second best track on this CD! - I like this track, despite it being sort of whirlwind-lite and it has several riffs that are very like those found in Snow by Spock's Beard... This starts well and has a lovely keyboard solo as well, and some nice guitar work, the reprise and fade out at the end spoil it somewhat but I'd give it four stars. So overall we have 12 stars divided by five tracks, 2.4 stars which I'll round up to three because as always the musicianship is outstanding, but I expect that. Lets hope that they will produce something different the next time they get together. But they wont if they let Morse near the thing. Maybe they should invite Lalo Huber to be the partner from the Americas on keyboards and get a guest singer in (Gildenlow would be perfect).

I stumbled across The FLower Kings and fell in love with their wonderful, beautiful symphonic prog. While keeping the past present the band makes the most exquisite music. So, having discovered this gem of a band I came into contact with Transatlantic, which consists of greatness from several bands. The Flower Kings included. Their latest album was eagerly awaited by me and when it finally hit the shops I was there at an instant.

Did the album live up to my expectations, then? A lot of people seem to think that this album needs a few listens before it really sticks. Is that so? Well, yes. I think so too. In fact, that is quite surprising, really, since the music is easy to get into. No, that does not mean it lacks complexity. On the contrary. The music IS complex but also quite accessible. Still I found it hard to be overwhelmed at first, unlike my encounter with The Flower Kings. Now I have listened very closely and for several days and I must say that yes, it did take me a few listens but now I do see it's greatness. And it is a great, grand and wonderful album. At least for the most part.

The music is not that far away from what I have heard from The Flower Kings. It has a not so slight resemblance but Transatlantic is a band in it's own right and the overall influences from the various members results in a very pleasant album.

The first track, Into the blue, is a really accomplished piece of music. 25 glorious minutes and maybe the best track on the album, as far as I am concerned. As with symphonic prog in general the song consists of several themes and varies in style from smooth, calm passages to all out and heavy hard rock. Along with the last track this is extraordinarily well constructed music.

The last track, Kaleidoscope, is eqaully impressing. It's 32 minutes of prog is really wonderful. While I do think that Into the blue is the better of the two I find myself smiling like a loon, faced with all this imaginative and engaging music.

The thing with this album is that the two tracks mentioned really should have been left alone. Now I do think that Black as the sky fits in well and suites the album quite terrific, seeing as it is a punchier, hard rocking piece of prog lasting a mere (!) 6 minutes and 45 seconds. The song gives me space to breath and prepare for the symphonic onslaught of the title track. It rounds off the album.

The two tracks I haven't mentioned are Shine and beyond the sky. I like a good ballad just as much or just as little as any man or woman alive. There is no shame in ballads, dear reader. The sorry fact of the matter, though, is that these two ballads really do not match the greatness of the remaining album. In fact, it is not even a question of paling in comparison. It is worse than that. The ballads are just not that good. I find them boring, even. The album would, in my opinion, benefitted from another Black as the sky to lift the album or maybe they should have chosen just one of the two ballads. It really slows down the pace and disturbs the flow of this otherwise excellent album.

All in all, though, this is an excellent and brilliant album. The problems lie in the excess of songs. As far as I am concerned only the two really long, epic tracks were needed. They alone make up for nearly an hour of music. There is no need to push more in there. Or maybe they ought to have put the ballads on the bonus disc that came with my edition? That would have suited the album and the overall experience a lot. Still, it is a great album and really worth exploring. One of the major releases this year, I predict, though slightly flawed due to the presence of the less enjoyable ballads. It would have been such a cohesive affair had they not been on the album and the end result would have been an album worthy of five glimmering stars. The tracks Into the blue and Kaleidoscope are certainly worth exactly that amount of stars.

If you like Spock's Beard and The Flower Kings you probably will like also Transatlantic. I think this music is a littl ebit more intelligent than Spock's Beard and a little bit more catchy than The Flower Kings. I appreciate everything I have heard from these bands yet, and some things I admire. Transatlantics perhaps isn't among my favourite prog bands but they do their job in an extraordinary talented way. I have listened a lot to The Whirlwind and love it, but I actually think this record is even better. Certainly "Kaleidoscope" is a fantastic record with so much music! Eventually my four stars will grow later on to five.

Transatlatic has been around for a while. The four progressive giants began work together with the record "Stolt Morse Portnoy Trewavas" in 2000 and Kaleidoscope is their fourth studio record. This is my first review of a 2014 record and Neal Morse (vocals, keyboards, guitars), Mike Portnoy(drums, vocals), Roine Stolt(vocals, guitars, mellotron) and Pete Trewavas(bass, vocals) have really created some pieces of great music.

Especially the two long tracks "Into the blue" and "Kaleidoscope" is fantastic and worth (10/10). They contain so much of symphonic glory. They give us beautiful vocals from all of the four, whirling keyboards and leading great guitars and bass sometimes sounding like Beatles. These two bits is just as good as Spcok's Beard's "The Great Nothing" or "The Water" or soemthing long from The Flower Kings. Even if the music lasts long it's allways filled with interesting details, power and sometimes heavy power. Also the shorter tracks have very high standard and it is certainly very high class on this material. What I have heard of the bonus tracks is also very appreciatable and honest. I have big understanding for people who thinks this is a masterpiece, and perhaps time will make me feel the same. Anyway the music is great and the best I have heard from Transatlantic. Really a record I recommend. Four strong stars!

Transatlantic return with their fourth studio offering, and are now, it would seem, becoming more of a permanent band and fixture than occasional "supergroup".

There are no real surprises on this album, because the very raison d'être of this band is to put into a recorded environment the love and appreciation of the grandiose, i.e. classic symphonic prog, perhaps the most grandiose sub genre of music ever invented. Put it another way, if you loved the first three, you will love this. If you didn't, well stay away, really.

The album's format is more akin to Bridge Across Forever, in that you have three shorter tracks bookended by two humongous epics, the title track to close, and Into The Blue as a gorgeous opener. I love Neal Morse's voice, and he is at his most uplifting here, alongside some lilting Stolt guitar work, and Trewavas playing that bass of his more like Squire than ever, with all glued together by Portnoy. It is 25 minutes of pure musical joy, that never once loses the listener's interest (Kaleidoscope as a track does in parts. I regard it as being at least ten minutes too long). This is the natural follow up to Whirlwind, and, as with that track/album, if you can learn to accept that Morse lyrically is now rather predictable, erm, spiritually, then all is well. Of course, not all do like it, but I can live with it.

Of the three shorter tracks, my favourite is the beautiful Shine, a ballad in the finest tradition of prog power pop, and a great Morse Stolt collaboration. Black As The Sky has Flower Kings indelibly stamped all over it, and is simply good fun, whilst Beyond The Sun is introspective and thoughtful (in a new age Christian sort of way).

So, to the second CD, the now obligatory set of covers. When these started, they were a joy, a treat, an affirmation of the love of the varying influences this group had. Now, though, I am starting to find them ever so slightly tired and tiresome, to the extent that I will limit myself in future to just getting the original material.

I am a little biased here, in that I have never enjoyed hearing anyone sing a Yes song except Jon Anderson, and so it is here. The musicianship on And You & I is exceptional, and note perfect, but, sorry, it simply does not lift me to Anderson heights. Roine is many things. Jon he most certainly ain't. Actually, the same comments apply equally here to Nights in White Satin and Justin Hayward.

In fact, of all here, I find Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (a highlight of a superb Elton John work) to be the most interesting. The rest is, well, alright, but will not, I fear, be a regular player on the Lazland disc player.

So, to a rating. I think the original cd merits a four star rating. Much of it is excellent, and as original as retro symphonic prog can possibly be. The playing is excellent, and most of it holds you throughout. The covers cd, though, is for completionists only. Thus, three stars. Another good, strong, showing. It will, though, be interesting to see whether the next album takes the band into any fresh territory.

Up to this point, the two main songwriters of Transatlantic, Neal Morse and Roine Stolt have over 50 hours of music between them in their respective bands and solo careers. Take into account Pete's work with Marillion, and Mike Portnoy's ridiculously extensive drum credentials you have an experienced group of musicians. With the sheer amount of work these guys have pumped out over the last 20 years it is undoubtedly expected that the creative energy should be almost gone by now. And so the question I pose is: Has it? The latest Transatlantic effort is perhaps the best answer to this question.

Formed as a supergroup of progressive talent, the band saw a period of remarkable efficiency, releasing two albums in just two years of its formation. With these two albums, and the comeback album The Whirlwind, the members were able to combine their unique songwriting abilities and quirks into a cohesive unit which resembled the individual styles, yet felt like something fresh. Kaleidoscope sees the return of the sound and style that graced these past albums, yet presents a new sonic landscape not quite explored previously.

Kaleidoscope is best described as culmination of their sound up to this point. When listening to the album I found hints of SMPTe, Bridge Across Forever, and The Whirlwind scattered throughout. Being closer chronologically to The Whirliwind, the album naturally carries that sound, but there are plenty of little details that hark back to the first two albums. An obvious example is the reverting back to the song lengths and formats of the first two albums, which means two lengthy epics and three shorter songs. Fortunately, the band is always most comfortable in their longer epics, and here is no exception.

However, there are some differences which I believe lead to a weaker album this time around. The album suffers from two major problems, as I could identify. A common complaint regarding the first album is it being too Morse-heavy, something that was fixed somewhat later. However, I feel as though this album suffers a bit from sound separation between the members input. That is to say, the Morse parts I could identify much more easily as Morse, and similarly with Roine (who seems to have had much more input than usual.) This becomes slightly annoying when you realize much of the material could have easily been on Momentum or Desolation Rose, the last albums of Neal and Roine, respectively. This, in addition to some of Pete's parts being completely isolated in the songs makes for a rather disjointed experience not seen nearly as much on the previous albums.

A second point is something which I believe slightly plagued some of Neals work, and is a common theme throughout the Flower Kings. I found the album had many parts that were simply unneeded. In the first three albums every moment had a reason for being there. On this one there are a few moments that seem to be less inspired, or simply don't fit in properly with the rest of the album; some specific examples being in my song by song analysis.

Fortunately, the album starts off strong with 'Into the Blue.' This one starts quite similarly to 'Duel With the Devil,' with the Cello representing the mid-tempo, melodic main theme. But this only lasts briefly before being hit with a heavy and obviously Roine-inspired passage similar to what he has been doing with the Flower Kings recently. Vocals finally enter almost 7-minutes in, yielding some classic Neal-penned verses and some great guitar work and the Beatles harmonies so present on their previous albums.

The following section entitled the New Beginning continues the heaviness, but not long before leading to a rather unvisited side of Transatlantic: A nearly 4-minute- long crescendo which starts with a simple bassline, and leads to a chaotic finish with flying guitar and drum work. Suffice it to say this moment is the one that impressed me the most in the new album.

After such intensity, we're given a short break with an atmospheric section featuring a reprise of the Dreamer and Healer melody by none other than Daniel Gildenlow. I am not much of a fan of the man's music or exuberant vocal style, but will admit he absolutely nailed it here. With a perfect transition, we are led to the next section, Written In Your Heart, a Neal-inspired dramatic segue to the final few minutes, which are a reprise of the main melody. Perfect in its structure and delivery; there is no fluff here. This one is without a doubt the highlight of the album, and easily finds a spot amongst Transatlantic epics.

Before the album's official release we were teased with a snippet in the single, Shine. I didn't like it then, and my mind hasn't changed since. The melodies are mundane, and the sound is, dare I say, commercial. Mike's Beatle's inspired vocal part is nice, but isn't helped by the ridiculous effects and the fact that his vocals aren't terribly impressive. The following guitar solo is one of Roine's best for sure, and the neat little reprise of Dreamer and Healer is a nice touch, but neither distract from the unadventurous nature of the song as a whole.

'Black As the Sky' is one of the stronger songs on the album. Being a massive Spock's Beard and Flower Kings fan, I appreciated some of the call-backs present in the song. The relation to Devil's Got My Throat from Spock's Beard's Snow was apparent right away, and I also heard some early Flower King styled vocal melodies from Stolt. Despite the slightly lackluster verses, the middle section is absolutely killer with its plethora of keyboards. This is classic prog and Transatlantic at their cores.

Kaleidoscope continues the band's tradition of ballads with 'Beyond the Sun.' A song I believe was written entirely by Neal, this one is best related to the title track from Bridge Across Forever. Some simple piano chords played to Neals vocals, but also some "Gates of Delirium-esque" atmospheric touches make this song. But when listening to it I felt as though something was missing. Both are quite simple, but 'Bridge Across Forever' captivated me in a way this one simply didn't. Though the more I listened the more I appreciated, and it certainly makes a great calm before the storm moment for the next track.

The title track rounds out the album in epic fashion. This one is truly a culmination of the different members of the band. With no time to waste, it starts up immediately in epic heavy, upbeat prog fashion, before seguing into the catchy as all, sugar filled main melody. Neal makes another Snow callback, with a melody that strikingly resembles 'Wind At My Back.' The happy-go-lucky mood up to this point is halted with the 'Black Gold' section, painted with a dramatic Cello riff and obvious Roine-inspired verses and chorus. This, along with the short jazzy interlude in the middle of the section are some aspects of the band that are quite fresh, and very welcome.

Mike Portnoy's frantic drumming segues into Pete's main contribution to the album. This section serves as a bit of controversy amongst many people. Not aside the momentum breaking nature of the piece, which it just seems they stuck in here to represent Pete. But the uncharacteristically karaoke-like vocals are a bit cringe worthy on the first few listens. The section is not bad by any means; it has a nice Pink Floyd vibe, and I enjoyed Pete's contribution of 'Lending a Hand' on The Whirlwind, but this just seems out of place in the context of the song, and is a prime example of the cookie-cutter complaint I addressed earlier.

The section is pretty short-lived, however, as we're hit with the Morse-led section, Desolation Days, which is mostly just a reprise of the main theme. Luckily we experience another one of the highlights of the album before it ends in the Lemon Looking Glass section. Referencing the ending of 'Is It Really Happening' from the Whirlwind, and containing some classic Spock's Beard and Flower King's instrumental bits, this five minute instrumental section is one of the strongest moments from the album. The 31- minute adventure of a song ends with a classic Transatlantic reprise, featuring soaring guitars in a dramatic landscape which slowly fades away.

And so, have the members of Transatlantic finally run out of ideas? I believe not, but nor do I believe they have deviated significantly from the comfortable prog-by-numbers formula they've long since established. But luckily there are people like me who eat it all up. And while I believe the album failed to meet the epicenes of their first three, it would be a big disservice to go against a solid album by one of the best groups in modern prog.

8/10

STYLE February 2014 Progressive rock. Kaleidoscope is a dynamic and widely varied album of contemporary retro-influenced prog ranging from the stomping, synth lead grandeur of Black As The Sky to the plaintive Beyond The Sun and mostly acoustic Shine. The set opens with the ever-changing twenty-five minute epic Into The Blue which rises wistfully out of silence with dreamy electronic textures and bowed effects before the band piles in with an early climax. The track then drives through some heavy guitar developments before returning to the languid opening theme and the first vocals of the album. As the track progresses it passes through a section quite reminiscent of The Flower Kings recent Desolation Rose complete with that familiar gritty, effected voice. Shine is a delightful piece that gradually gathers from an acoustic guitar opening and sounds like a slightly country-influenced Pink Floyd composition complete with storming lead break in the latter part and subtle sitar strains interwoven. The keening, drum-free Beyond The Sun segues directly into the title track which is the other main epic here and what a wide-ranging track this is: from seventies glam through, soporific interludes, rock song passages, Lennonish-nostalgia, anguished and delicate recallings of the previous track with strings and piano, acoustic strumming and a huge build up that seems somehow manage to sum up the whole album. ARTWORK Having just an electronic promo of the album, I have seen only the front cover image with its symmetrical electric blues and swirling greens. Kaleidoscope is available in a variety of formats including a limited edition with Deluxe Artbook, 2CDs, DVD and Bonus 5.1 Mix DVD-Video in an LP-sized book with loads of pictures, liner notes and a lenticular card cover. There will also be 2CD & DVD Mediabook, Standard 2CD Jewelcase and a 3LP & 2CD in slipcase. One of the bonus discs contains eight cover songs of some of the band's favourites: the Yes masterpiece And You and I, Can't Get It Out of My Head originally recorded by the Electric Light Orchestra, Procol Harum's Conquistador, Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Tin Soldier from the Small Faces, the Focus classic Sylvia, Indiscipline - King Crimson and finally The Moody Blues Nights in White Satin. Another disc in the package is a DVD with the Shine video and a couple of vignettes. OVERALL The fourth studio album from the progressive band Transatlantic - Kaleidoscope - sees the band consolidating their signature sound across a powerful five track suite. Delivering their debut way back in 2000 band members Neal Morse (ex-Spock's Beard), Mike Portnoy (ex-Dream Theater), Pete Trewavas (Marillion), and Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings) clearly still very much love what they do and have a great talent for stitching disparate themes and stylistic elements into imaginative and free-flowing compositions. If you enjoyed previous albums, SMPTe, Bridge Across Forever, or The Whirlwind you won't be disappointed by this latest release. The band's official website holds a wealth of information including tour dates, album notes, purchase options, videos and audio links.

I've listened to this through a few times now, and it's definitely growing on me. There's no shocks or unexpected departures of style here, and indeed several sections are very reminscent of things they've done before. I happen to really like their brand of prog and their wonderful playing, so it doesn't detract from it being a welcome addition to my collection. Others may feel that it doesn't cover enough new ground if they already have several Transatlantic albums.

So, as we've come to expect the standard of the playing, and the interplay, is high and there's a sense of fun to a lot of the musical interactions -- these guys have a great time playing together. The lyrics are for the most part less overtly religious than Whirlwind, and there are plenty of long instrumental sections as well as big blocks of vocal harmonies. Pete Trewavas gets a little more of limelight on lead vocals which is nice to hear for variety.

On balance I think I prefer this to Whirlwind, though for me it's not as good as Bridge Across Forever. I can't say whether I prefer it to S.M.P.T.e. but essentially all the Transatlantic albums are of fairly similar standard and quality.

Four stars: an excellent addition and I'd buy it again if I lost it, but doesn't quite get the fifth one because if I was picking my a limited set of desert island discs I would probably pick Bridge Across Forever and nine albums from other bands for variety.

I've listened to this fourth album a few times. It's good. Better than The Whirlewind but inferior to the first two album. The beginning of the CD is not among the best. The first track "Into the blue" is tiring and without very good melodies. The "short" tracks between the two mammoths are really good instead. "Shine", "Black as the sky" are the beeter examples of the new transatlantic album: good melodies, good guitar solos from Roine Stolte and good work from the rhytmic session. The final suite "Kaleidoscope" is much better than the first suite. It reminds me of "All of the above" and defines perfectly the Transatlantic sound. A good follow up to Whirlewind!

Once again, supergroup Transatlantic has continued its string of nearly great studio releases.

The album clocks in at a hair under 75 minutes, and just about three quarters of it are comprised by the two epic tracks that bookend the album. But more about these later.

The three middle tracks are much shorter, and of differing interest. The longest of the three, Shine is the least interesting. It is a standard Neal Morse-styled soft ballad, which, as Morse is compelled to do, is written with those obvious born-again Christian code words clumsily woven throughout, making the lyrics even more tedious than the bland music. Beyond The Sun is a bit better, with some nice strings in a mostly forgettable track.

Black As The Sky is easily the best of the three short tracks. Comparatively simplistic, but highly energetic, this piece comes across like a Keith Emerson homage. With a fairly basic rhythm track, the instrumental section has a wonderfully bombastic keyboard solo section, similar to what Emerson has done over the years in Rondo, Fanfare For The Common Man, and other show pieces.

And back to the epics. Both are highly listenable prog works. And in each, it is easy to recognize where either Morse or Roine Stolt took control of the writing. Always good, but often resorting to passages that sound much too familiar too Morse/Spock's Beard and Flower Kings fans. It's not a bad thing, but I wish these guys would do more to develop a "Transatlantic" signature style, rather than rely on the sound of their other bands.

The two tracks are very dynamic, weaving through countless motifs and themes. Usually this works, but often the transitions come across as forced and awkward. And again, Morse throws in biblical and religious code words that only take away from the music's grandeur.

Still, I rate this upward of 3.5 stars, giving it a 4 in the PR ratings.

9.5/10

Every album Transatlantic should have a higher score than 4:00 here in PA. This is not just fact; it's like a rule .

Each of the albums of this supergroup is an event in the history of modern prog . But with his latest offering, The Whirlwind, I was frankly disappointed. Not only because it was an album a tiring listening (sorry , but as much as I love progressive rock music can not stand long as well , even if they are divided into several parts), but it was considerably less than the masterpieces and SMPTE Bridge Across Forever. Simply did not understand the hype around it , and still do not understand .

That said, I was anxious and afraid with Kaleidoscope. This album would be a masterpiece like the first two or disappointment as The Whirlwind? Thus arose the first reviews and ratings here on the site, he started on a high note, but quickly fell, the lowest among the four works in the band at the time. What I think is somewhat unfair.

I mean, okay he demands again and listens to convince you a masterpiece, but how many albums did we love it? Neal Morse's voice is tired and aged? YES! It's more of the same? YES! But you know what? Screw it! I really love this album, and for me it is the first masterpiece of this year, at least the first I hear.

What else can you expect from an album that brings together four of the best musicians in the progressive scene, covered in influence and masters at what they do? Talking to each is stating the obvious. Any Transatlantic album will come with a lush musicality is known. It is one of the reasons why they are so acclaimed.

Another reason is, of course, epic. The first, Into the Blue, has been a favorite of many on the album and I think that's my case too. Despite feeling that he has less dynamic than other epics of the band (like Duel With The Devil, which remains my favorite song of theirs), is still full of great moments. The ethereal intro, full of sounds and a beautiful cello Chris Carmichael (who has a very important role in this album, more than in others), is just the beginning of a long instrumental overture of 6 minutes. I think it's because of this very long introduction that music has less dynamic, in my view. Anyway... I will not limit myself to describing the epic second per second, but some of my favorite moments are the explosion of one of the many themes of the song and the time to 12:30 on 16 minutes where we are presented with a beautiful voice Daniel Gildenlow. And you still wonder why this guy is one of my favorite vocalists? I hope he wins a greater share within the band, as it has done in their lives.

The next three songs are short in the style that the band has done on previous albums. Shine is a beautiful semi-acoustic ballad, especially with a nice dynamic between Neal Morse and Roine Stolt. Stolt has a great voice that fits a particular category of mine, which also come David Gilmour and Jerry Cantrell: the great guitarists with sing softly. There close to four minutes we still had a brief role of Mike Portnoy on vocals. But surely the best moment of the song is the solo Stolt that runs on a different tone from the rest of the song ( F instead of G ). Black as the Sky reminds me of the days of Mystery Train, which is one of the most dynamic and beloved songs of the group. The highlights here are beyond virtuous instrumental section with the usual keyboards Morse (reminding me too much of Spock's Beard) and dynamic battery Portnoy and guitars Stolt (everything always accompanied by poignant bass Trewavas), the part where the four musicians take turns on vocals. Showing that the four can be great singers, and proving that this is not a one-man band, as some insist. Finally comes the short and ethereal Beyond the Sun, full of slide guitars and cello, creating a very spiritual atmosphere, emphasized by the letters of Morse. I really like to see him bringing that sound to the band, unlike most (after all it is still the only Christian prog artist I know, and need to stick to it).

The last song is the title track, which runs about 32 minutes. It does not open with ethereal introductions as Into the Blue, but picks up where Beyond the Sun ends, his first three minutes presenting an aggressive range of themes until it opens into the second section of the song, "Ride the Lightning". At 4 minutes Neal begins to sing (and I really love the "dry" sound of drums Portnoy at that time): " Lift - lift me high , why teach me , I've been born in the world of pain , so confused in the masquerade." After this section verse-chorus- verse-chorus, the music fades to start a new session (this fading is caused to enable music division into two parts in version vinyl album). After a new session sung by Stolt, there is an excellent keyboard solo followed by more guitars before the song from a fun Beatles- esque section, sung by Trewavas (Suite Charlotte Pike, anyone?). Notably, the music will still go through different dynamics, as some melancholy vocals accompanied by a guitar Howe-ish before it finds its most powerful and there for the last minute instrumental section back to the theme of "Ride the Lightning" and ends with a solo glorious guitar that ends in a fade-in.

So that's it. Transatlantic lived up to my expectations again. Kaleidoscope can be a little below than their first two albums, since it offers nothing challenging regarding which we have heard before, but it is a more satisfying experience than the median The Whirlwind. It is proof that Morse, Stolt, Trewavas and Portnoy (and Carmichael and Gildenlow) still have force to surprise the prog world, and I really hope they do not take too much to release a new album. Long live to Transatlantic! 5 stars.

The return of the international prog super group is back! And it's pretty much business as usual.

One their last album "The Whirlwind", the band did the unthinkable and crafted a near 80 minute song with interweaving parts throughout. While this ended up as being the bands most successful release to date, I felt that the album was maybe just a tad overwhelming. Now don't get me wrong, I love mad prog epics more than the next guy...but maybe 79 minute songs are pushing it a little bit.

So...after the drama of Mike Portnoy's departure from Dream Theater had toned down, him and the rest of the guys (who avoid drama at the best of times) decided to finally bite the bullet after their big comeback in 2009 and finally release a follow up to the critically acclaimed "The Whirlwind."

I have to say, at times this album did surprise me at times. After hearing a thousand copycat nostalgia prog bands doing re hashes of old Genesis material, it was a breath of fresh air to see Transatlantic doing something different. Now, this being their 4th release in 15 years, a similar pattern is emerging and certain generic traits are noticeable, but as entertainment showing off incredible virtuoustic talent, this pretty much hits the nail on the head. Musically the band haven't changed too much, but odd flourishes do grab my interest now and then. I also like how the shared vocal duties of the band have been more equally this time (with Neal mainly taking the reins most of the time on earlier releases). Now...Mike and Pete don't have the best voices, especially when compared with Neal and Roine, but there are moments on this album where they can suprise you.

The opening 25 minute opus "Into The Blue" is probably the album's strongest moment. Taking a more sinister feeling to their sound, it shows off a different side to the bands songwriting. The highlight on the song for me was on the section "Written In Your Heart" with guest vocalist and touring member Daniel Gildenlöw (who currently is unwell due to picking up a bacterial infection) providing some beautiful vocals.

The album's lead single "Shine" is a very nice country influenced ballad with some nice vocal harmonies throughout. The main attraction has to be Roine's ripping guitar solo in the mid section of the song.

One of the more enjoyable moments on the album is on the track "Black As The Sky." A more upbeat rock infused song, the songs biggest highlight comes in the chorus showing of the bands use of four part harmony.

The weakest moment on the album has to be the albums title track, which clocks in at near 32 minutes. While it is still pretty enjoyable, it does drag on a bit at parts and is a rather lengthy affair. Other than that, it still does have some pretty great prog infused moments.

In conclusion, it's pretty much what you expect. I will admit that this album is better than their previous effort "The Whirlwind" it still doesn't match up to their magnum opus "Bridge Across Forever." Still a highly enjoyable album with enough prog touches to entertain anyone into nostalgic prog and newer prog sounds.

8.2/10

This review could not start any other way without me telling how I got to know Transatlantic and why my expectations are always high when they release a new album.

I discovered the band back in 2005 when, by accident, I found their second album Bridge Across Forever (2001) in a CD shop. I didn't know anything about this band, but I knew Mike Portnoy and I also knew that an album with only four songs two of which were 30 minutes long had to be at least interesting. I bought the CD and I was hooked! After that I had to wait four long years for a new album by the super group. It was worth waiting and when The Whirlwind (2009) was released I bought the special edition without even listening to a single teaser before.

Five years later the group formed by Neal Morse (solo, Flying Colors and ex-Spock's Beard), Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings and ex-Kaipa), Mike Portnoy (Flying Colors, Neal Morse and ex-Dream Theater) and Pete Trewavas (Marillion and Edison's Children) was ready to release another album. Much expectation and speculation surrounded their new album Kaleidoscope (2014). In an interview I did with Neal Morse in 2012 (read it HERE: progshine.net/2013/03/interview-neal- morse-re-post.html) he mentioned that he was trying to get the band back together to record another album, it took almost 2 years but here it is!

My version of Kaleidoscope (2014) is the special one with extra CD and DVD, but I'll focus my review on the main disc. Kaleidoscope (2014) doesn't try to repeat The Whirlwind (2009) formula that was so successful, instead the band went back to the Bridge Across Forever (2001) period. Here we have 2 long songs and 3 short ones.

The opening track is the responsibility of the epic 'Into The Blue' and its more than 25 minutes. The intro of the song ('Overture') emulates the opening of 'Duel With The Devil' with the Chris Carmichael cello (yes, the same Chris that played on 'Duel'). The track has all Transatlantic's trade marks: heavy drumming, guitars full of style and melody, brilliant and frantic bass lines, vintage keyboards that tie everything down and lots of different parts in the same suite. An interesting fact to notice: after so many years having Daniel Gildenlow (Pain Of Salvation) as a back-up musician in the live gigs they finally invited him to participate in one of their records, nothing more fair. He sings in the fourth part of the suite 'Written In Your Heart'. I have to admit that despite the fact that the music is indeed fantastic, Neal Morse's lyrics bother me a bit because he ends up preaching a bit (even if he does it in a subtle form). But overall, the track is one more epic with Transatlantic's trade mark and signature on it which is always a good thing to have!

The second track (and first single of the album) 'Shine' is a track that could be easily fit in Neal Morse's new solo album, the difference here is that Roine Stolt and Mike Portnoy sing on it. My favorite part is definitely Roine's vocals always full of soul and with interesting delivery, just the same as his solo guitar on the song. Then comes 'Black As The Sky' and this one is what I would call 'Transatlantic classic'. It has a strong theme in a concise and with a powerful chorus (clearly wrote by Stolt). Probably this is my favorite track on Kaleidoscope (2014)! Unfortunately, the track that gives continuity to the album is 'Beyond The Sun'. I said unfortunately because this track is absolutely weak and in my opinion should have never be included in the album.

Fortunately, the next track we have another great epic, this time with the title-track 'Kaleidoscope' and its almost 32 minutes. Once again the band hit the spot with themes that stick to your head and with choruses that you can sing-along with, but at the same time you have what every Progger that buys a Transatlantic album wants: a little bit of challenge when you listen to their music. The low point on 'Kaleidoscope' comes in the fourth part of the epic 'Walking The Road'. After a part that reminds Pink Floyd we have Pete Trewavas vocals, Pete is a brilliant bass player but honestly he should stick to the backing vocals that he does so well. As a main voice Pete just doesn't have it! But all in all, the result in the end is just great!

As I mentioned before, my version is the special one and brings the main disc plus a CD and DVD bonus, thing that is already normal in new releases. Mimicking their previous albums the bonus CD is filled with covers only. As the previous bonus discs the band released all versions are faithful to the originals and very well played as expected. This time the band covered Yes, ELO, Procol Harum, Elton John, Steve Marriott, Focus, King Crimson and The Moody Blues. It's a great bonus CD! The DVD, also as in the previous album of the band, brings the making of from the recordings of Kaleidoscope (2014), also the video clip for 'Shine' and some footage of the Prog Awards 2013. For me the DVD is absolutely great. I just love documentaries and making of's.

Kaleidoscope (2014) is an album that doesn't break any barrier (they're not really trying anyway) in the superb discography of Transatlantic but the album also owes nothing to any of their previous albums. Kaleidoscope (2014), in fact, is a breath of quality to a musical world that every week releases dozens of mediocre Prog Rock albums, most of them inspired in a fashion where the music seems to come directly from some Pop FM radio instead of actually Prog Rock artists.

The bonus CD and DVD only make Kaleidoscope (2014) more interesting. Buy the special edition! This is certainly one of the great releases of 2014!

4.5 stars

(Originally posted on progshine.net)

Is this something closer to Close to the Edge?

I'am really happy nowadays as so many prog bands who deliver excellent albums including this one by the supergroup Transatlantic comprising Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings), Neal Morse (ex Spock's Beard), Mike Portnoy (ex Dream Theater) and Pete Trewavas (Marillion). I salute this supergroup which its members are all basically very busy musicians with their original band as well as with other projects. I would say Transatlantic is also another project by its member, As I can remember reading from music magazine that the effective writing session of this fourth album after SMPTe, Bridge Across Forever, and The Whirlwind took only something around couple of days (not more than two weeks, I think). Yet , the result is another excellent album as its predecessors. The supergroup's competence has been in creating epic track with a minimum duration of something about twenty-minute plus, as in here with this album there are two epics: one as opener and the other one at the end of the album. The special edition package includes covers of other musicians tunes including Yes, ELO, Elton John, Procol Harum etc.

The opening epic "Into The Blue" (25:13) really blew me away at first spin as it has a superb composition stemming from its good melody, balanced harmonies created by all instruments used throughout the passage of the epic, many tempo changes and time signatures. Most importantly, despite its long duration and many style changes, it still maintain a solid structural integrity. As Portnoy said in one of interviews with music magazine (Classic Rock?) he wanted this album as Close to The Edge of this time. Listening this opening epic I imagine that the supergroup might match its dream to be the Close to the Edge. Even though the opening part of this epic is an ambient music that reminds me to the intro of "Soon" part in Yes epic Gates of Delirium, as the music unfolds I can see the supergroup's high ambition with this Kaleidoscope album. As far as music taste, I have no problem at all with this epic as it flows smoothly and nicely from start to end, blending soft as well as heavy parts nicely. Morse and Stolt work very closely in this epic. This whole epic reminds me to the style of Spock's Beard music even though this one is better in terms of balancing the music and vocal part. Daniel Gildenlow of Pain of Salvation who has been missing since 2011 not releasing album for his band is of course a very welcome for the band. He has been very close to the supergroup and as part of touring member backing on Morse' works, especially. As I do enjoy the epic, I don't feel any sense of being bored with its long duration ...in fact I feel like "why it stops now?" at the end of the track.

The second track "Shine" (7:28) is basically a ballad that does not impress me at all. I think this supergroup should stop producing this kind of music as it really bores me and creates an immediate regret after a wonderfully crafted opening epic. I don't believe these gentlemen still willing to sing this mediocre track any band can produce. But, I really love the third track "Black As the Sky" (6:45) even though it has a short duration. It rocks in style and it's progressive in style. I am impressed with powerful basslines created by Trewavas combined with inventive drums work by Portnoy. In fact I can sense that Pete Trewavas much better play his bass guitar in Transatlantic than in his original band, Marillion. Black As The Sky is my favorite track as well as the two epics. "Beyond The Sun" (4:31) is also not my favorite - too easy listening ...not prog at all.

The album title as well as epic "Kaleidoscope" (31:53) is a great concluding track that also blew me away at first spin. There is segment that reminds me to Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here but it's not something similar. The last epic is really superb and this is the kind of prog music that I expect from supergroup like Transatlantic. The epic starts nicely with a relatively medium tempo music combining guitar, keyboard, bass and drums that come together into one single piece of musical intro. Of course there are parts like staccato style as result of guitar and keyboard work in some segments, augmented by Stolt's guitar solo. It takes relatively long duration at intro without any vocal and the music in itself is captivating until it then inserted by a rhythm guitar portion followed with inventive keyboard work that brings the music moves in crescendo. The vocal line enters at approx the fourth minute. This epic is much more dynamic in style as compared to the opening epic.

Overall, this is an excellent addition to any prog music collection. The composition is top notch as it combines good melody, excellent harmonies, many tempo changes, complex arrangement , however it maintains the album as a cohesive whole especially in its solid structural integrity. There two tracks that actually both are unnecessary fillers: "Shine" and "Beyond The Sun" that should be removed from this album. Is this any closer to Close to The Edge? You are the judge. Keep on proggin' ...!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

The staggering amounts of material copying themselves and others churned out yearly by Neal Morse and Roine Stolt - in that order, main engines behind Transatlantic (ex-Dream Theater Mike Portnoy and Marillion's Pete Trevawas all contribute and are featured prominently in the mix, but creatively are more like second bananas) - never seizes to amaze. Amaze, that those legendary egomaniacs still manage to sound fluid and catchy. Kaleidoscope does not differ one iota from Transatlantic previous 3 albums - bombastic overlong retro-prog - and from Morse and Stolt main bands for that matter. Maybe teeny-weeny more of Stolt's guitar - which is a good thing. But if you pretend their sources didn't exist - this would be your favorite album.

People listen to Transatlantic for 30-minute epics, and here they are again, no better but no worse than others. Into the blue is actually quite successful 'cause it doesn't overwhelm with gazillions of themes, and has a cool Crimsonian dark groovy part. Kaleidoscope song is also very melodic, but more stitched together. Their shorter songs are usually forgettable, but here they have a better one of their ballads (Shine) and a surprisingly raucous rocker (Black as the sky).

Transatlantic used to be my very favorite band around the releases of SMPTe and Bridge Across Forever. I was still quite new to prog, and they were exciting, majestic and just very NEW to me. So my expectations were naturally out of proportions when they reunited and released "The Whirlwind" in 2009. I was left extremely disappointed, because nothing felt fresh or interesting, and it was just confusing to me. The reason is probably not that the band members had "lost it", but rather that I've come into contact with the whole prog world since their first albums, so I have a different perspective on what's "fresh". Today, I doubt Transatlantic would have made the same impact on me if I heard them for the first time, even their old material.

So, moving on to this fourth studio album, Kaleidoscope, I no longer had huge expectations. I just hoped to hear some fresh and new music. But I'm struggling. The two epics (25 and 31 minutes respectively) sound like all the other epics that Neal Morse have composed up until this point (sprinkled with some Roine Stolt stuff, which is a bit quirkier and more interesting to me, but is getting old too). I don't blame them, because it's near impossible to keep making fresh material 20 or 30 years into a career, especially when also wanting to give the fans what they expect. But personally, I'm so very tired of it.

The two ballads tracks are also "just Neal Morse", and if you're still hungry for those, you might enjoy them! I'm sad to realize that I no longer do. There has been too many of them now.

"Black as the Sky" is the exception for me on this album! Sure, I get VERY strong Snow vibes (the Spock's Beard album), but the style isn't overdone yet, and I like the upbeat groove. It feels fresh, and it's fun. The higlight track for me.

All in all, it's certainly not bad music, and I can see why many love it. It's just not "new enough" for me.

'Kaleidoscope' - Transatlantic (42/100)

For quite some time, I was at a loss to understand why there was such a vitriol against progressive rock. Over the years, I've had to defend my love of prog from my parents, girlfriends, friends and fellow musicians. As it's eventually turned out, it's become clear to me why people might feel so dismissive towards the genre, thanks in no small part to a band like Transatlantic. I've heard proggers sing the praises of this supergroup for ages; after all, a collaboration between members of some of the biggest progressive bands of the past couple of decades couldn't go wrong, right? It's not enough to say I dislike Transatlantic; I think their music exemplifies all of the bad clichés that have made 'prog' such a dirty word to some people. Kaleidoscope is no different. This fourth album is another hour-plus of the Morse/Portnoy/Stolt/Trewavas collaboration resting on their laurels, spouting the same dinosaur prog that they've played their entire career, a style which, in turn, was explored and perfected decades before the band even formed.

I might argue that Transatlantic is only a part of a larger trend in progressive rock to look to the past for inspiration. Even if few hack the 70's symphonic prog aesthetic as shamelessly as these guys do, there are plenty of bands in this genre that choose to operate on more nostalgic terms. I'll admit that there's only been a handful of modern symphonic prog albums to have really impressed me (the latest having been Monarch Trail's debut Skye), but I don't think I'd ever dismiss a band solely on the basis of being retrogressive. I think the style could be made relevant nowadays, but Transatlantic clearly aren't the band to realize that potential. Between two sterile "epics" and a trio of innocuous shorter pieces, I cannot find enough personality to have satisfied a half-hour of music, let alone the 70+ minute slog of prog rock excess and cheese Kaleidoscope leads us on with.

To the supergroup's credit, it's interesting to hear the members' personal touches merged together so evenly. Although the influence of Marillion (manifest in Pete Trewavas' bass work) is seemingly absent from the Transatlantic style, Roine Stolt, Neal Morse and Mike Portnoy have uploaded their signatures to the music in such a way that you can usually tell which ideas came from whom, but where there also never appears to be competition or conflict between the respective influences. Neal Morse's 'nice guy' approach to melodies and overzealous suite structures are arguably most prominent, but Roine Stolt's Flower Kings heritage is more apparent during the instrumentals. Mike Portnoy's drumwork is instantly identifiable, and while his percussion sounds too lowly mixed, his performance on Kaleidoscope is a close mirror of his past work with Dream Theater. Some of his questionable behaviour and antics post-Dream Theater aside, he's a fantastic drummer and gives the most impressive performance of the group here.

Whereas most bands' careers might culminate in one epic suite, Kaleidoscope offers two on the same disc. Even being as cynical over prog conventions as I am, the idea of an epic still really appeals to me; it's a band's chance to push themselves to the very limit and show the extent of their skills. That novelty and significance really wears off in Transatlantic's case where they treat epics with a two or three-for-one deal. The title epic is certainly a better rounded work that "Into the Blue", which seems to slip haphazardly between bluesy hard rock riffs and tenuous instrumental solos. "Kaleidoscope" is a better epic in most respects; the first five minutes offer a pretty solid momentum. As a whole, the suite's parts feel really compartmentalized; there isn't the sort of fluid flow here that would be needed to make the epic feel complete. "Into the Blue" suffers from most of the same issues: twenty five minutes of generally sterile ideas drawn out to fill half a disc. The lyrics are just as heavy-handed as you would expect, too: some nonsense about 'the dreamer and the healer' sounds like cheesy prog rock mad libs, and there's plenty of Neal Morse's trademark Christian sanctimony to go around too.

While it's clear Transatlantic mean to have all sights set primarily on the pair of epics here, "Black as the Sky" and "Beyond the Sun" are the two best-written songs on the album. "Black as the Sky" is as dinosaur prog as the two longer pieces, but it's more cleverly composed and structured; I've got the slight impression that Transatlantic's songwriting would be generally stronger if they put their ideas on tighter reins more often. "Beyond the Sun" is clearly intended to be some sort of extended introduction to the "Kaleidoscope" epic, but it's actually turned out to be the most heartfelt, powerful track on the album. The instrumentation is focused on atmosphere foremost, letting Neal Morse's vocals shine through. I've never been much into his plain vocal style, but it really works here. It's a real shame that the sort of warmth that's hinted at in "Beyond the Sun" never peaks its head out for the rest of the album. By the way, I realize I failed to mention "Shine" until now; it's a saccharine acoustic track and it's like something I'd expect to hear in the ending credits of some 'family values' sitcom. Not my thing. Not my thing at all.

I know Transatlantic are a group of very talented individuals, and I know that I'm part of the relative minority in speaking against them. They've taken the most pompous elements of the old school progressive style and married it to modern-day sterility and conservatism. Most of the ingredients Transatlantic formed their style upon were pretentious and dull, and they've done nothing to press forward, nothing to improve their art or broaden their horizons. It's like a jilted bride who wears her wedding gown until the day she dies; just because you're clinging onto an ideal past doesn't mean the rest of the world hasn't marched on forward. Oh well, for whatever it's worth, as bad albums go, Kaleidoscope is one the best performed I have ever heard.

When the cover for Transatlantic's latest 75 minute opus `Kaleidoscope' was first released, with all the blue and green colours, it strangely made me think of the Santana band's `Borboletta' disc from 1974. I instantly thought `Wow, it would be cool if this turns out to be Transatlantic's jazz/fusion album', and even the spiritual lyrics from that Santana period would have more than fit in with Neal Morse and Roine Stolt's leanings! Sadly, this was not to be, and instead we have a perfectly decent but utterly unoriginal and even occasionally dull rehash of everything the band has given listeners before, even as good as I've felt those albums have been in the past. Of course it contains all the technical playing, sophisticated arrangements and pleasing melodies associated with the band of professionals, but there's an underwhelming sense of this being...perhaps mere product to hold the prog masses for another year or so?

Transatlantic certainly have their knockers. Those who grumble about the band being so completely retro focused are kind of missing the point at this stage into their career and their solo works. Fans generally enjoy exactly that about Transatlantic, that all four of the musicians pour plenty of their own character into their music, and those same fans admire the love that the band have for those defining vintage days of progressive rock. Those who complain that this is everything wrong with modern prog music, as if prog has ever been `fashionable' in the first place, are deluding themselves! I am perfectly happy to defend a band that is proud of its prog heritage and influence. Morse and Stolt's pride in their spiritual beliefs have inspired and strengthened my own for years, so I'm also more than fine with that element that emerges throughout this music. But sadly with `Kaleidoscope', it's all about diminishing returns, with the band seemingly just going through the motions. Perhaps because the previous album was a comeback they felt the need to prove themselves, as `The Whirlwind' had an urgency and positively crackled with energy and fire compared to this one.

The epics are certainly the strongest works here. The 25 minute opener `Into The Blue' is more or less exactly like the longer pieces on the previous albums, a hugely symphonic prog workout with extended instrumental sections, some orchestrated passages full of epic rises, grand builds, pleasant melodies (one thing Neal Morse can frankly write in his sleep) and a big finale. All the usual trademarks are well in place for this one, just without too much in the way of real excitement. The frantic instrumental opening is well done, and of course the charismatic Neal Morse, simply one of the most versatile and dynamic keyboard players in modern prog, is all over this. His voice, too, is in good form as always, it's just that once the vocals enter, the verse/repeated chorus melodies are not as strong as they have been before. Drummer Mike Portnoy sounds like he's having a great time during the Beatles flavoured section about 12 minutes in, and since he left Dream Theater, we've all been very lucky to have him playing more traditional prog in this band. Pete Trewavas's bass is mixed chunky and upfront like in the glory days of early Marillion and this thankfully avoids sounding like anything on his sleeping pill `Edison's Children' project. The slow- burn instrumental passage of electric piano, mellotron, murmuring bass and a ripping electric guitar solo from Flower King Roine Stolt that runs throughout the 13-17 minute mark is definitely the highlight. Sadly, I can't stand the finale with guest Daniel Gildenlow's overwrought and oh so emotional vocals (yet oddly I enjoyed his time when he was a member of the Flower Kings, go figure), and the verse/chorus reprised outro has a slightly plodding heaviness that doesn't quite succeed.

The 32 minute title track is the album standout of course. There's a foot-tapping quality to the snappy drumming and feel-good joyful vocal harmonies, with dreamy Floydian atmospheres, heavier King Crimson-like menace, thoughtful orchestrated moments and even some singer-songwriter acoustic introspection. Neal lets rip with endless heavy bursts of scorching Hammond, whirring Moogs and jazzy piano, and his lead vocals are very joyful and commanding. Roine's middle-eastern desert swept `Black as Gold' part is sublime with lots of darker tension and blissful group vocals, Mike Portnoy drumming up a tsunami of fury. Sadly despite the whimsical floating psychedelic backing, the `Walking The Road' passage is made excruciating by Pete T's unbearable vocals that make me cringe - great musician, dreadful vocalist. Unfortunately the climactic end is not very thrilling and lazily fades out leaving almost no impression, a bit of a shame. But overall due to the various instrumental runs having a strong build with a better use of reprises and recurring themes, this one is mostly a winner and the best thing here.

Sadly it's on the three `in between' tracks where the album almost grinds to a halt.`Smile' is a clichéd psychedelic acoustic semi-inspirational ballad just begging for a sea of cigarette lighters to be raised in the air at live concerts. Despite a tasty electric guitar solo from Roine in the second half, there's a strong whiff of Dad-Prog to this one that makes me nearly nod off. `Black as the Sky' is more up-tempo and almost playful, full of E.L.P-type keyboard bluster and a catchy chorus, but it's all a rather forgettable if pleasing time-waster - I'm sure it will be great fun at live shows though. `Beyond The Sun' is the obligatory "Classy Neal Morse Christian Ballad", filling much the same spot as the title track on Transatlantic's second album `Bridge Across Forever'. Personally I can appreciate the lyrics, less so the predictable vocal arrangement - nice cello and Yes `Soon'-styled pedal steel guitar though. Overall, the biggest issue is that these tracks aren't even a fraction as strong as similar `straight-forward' tracks on the last few solo Morse and Flower Kings albums. I went back and played several of those discs, and even the less interesting stuff on `Momentum', `Testimony 2' and `Desolation Rose' are all far superior to these.

`Kaleidoscope' is by no means a bad album, and there's certainly no doubting it's performed well by a bunch of musicians who are deserving of their high status in modern progressive music circles. I'd probably say that those who've never heard Transatlantic before will probably enjoy this more than regular followers of the band because it will all be new to them. Either that or it's a little worrying that some fans will adore that it's safe and `business as usual'. But I truly find this one lacking in much inspiration and clear signs of a group in need to a good rethink next time around.

At four albums in, Transatlantic shouldn't feel worried of losing fans by experimenting more and taking a few chances, as in the long run (if the plan is for Transatlantic this time to remain an ongoing project), it's albums that try different things and shake up the formula that are more appreciated than the predictable holding-pattern here. Given the talent of the four musicians, I hold out hope for something more exciting next time around. Come on Transatlantic guys, take a chance and surprise us all!

Three stars.

(Now if only Roine could please put me in touch with his tailor I'd be very grateful, that's a beautiful psychedelic shirt he's rocking throughout the photos in the CD booklet!)

TRANSATLANTIC has become what I call 'Comfort Prog' since to my ears, it's like junk food, meaning it has little nutritional value yet it tastes very good. That's exactly what we get with their 4th album KALEIDOSCOPE which is simply a reworking of all the material they began with their very first album 'SMPTe.' I really like the first two albums and I have nothing against a supergroup doing retro prog as long as it isn't a carbon copy of what came before but at this stage fourteen years after that debut I would expect some serious developments in the musical evolution department. That is not what we get here. We simply get four prog stars resting on their laurels and setting the passion flame to cruise control and churning out very pleasant and well constructed epic suites that neither offend nor excite. They seem to have forgotten that 'progressive' by its very definition means moving forward or advancing in steady increments. We do not get any of that here. This is just doing exactly what you've already done before only changing it around a bit and adding a nice pretty package.

The one exception for me (and many others I see) is the track 'Black As The Sky' which seems to have mustered up some musical mojo to at least add one really satisfying' track to the album. Even this is hardly what I would call a major leap in any sort of development in their musical compositional approach. I give albums 3 stars for a few reasons. One reason is because an album contains a few great songs and lots of filler. Another is because the album is even but just not up to its potential possibly following or preceding a much stronger album and yet another is a perfectly good album that is simply anachronistic. If this was their debut album in 2000 it would be celebrated with the praise that their first two albums received, but these days there is so much more interesting prog to be had and this simply feels lackluster in comparison to their own past releases alone. For this release of comfort prog which is intended to give the prog masses an easily digestible package that doesn't require much effort to take in, I give a middle-of-the-road 3 stars.

I've been a big fan of Transatlantic in the past. The first two albums still stand as really good prog. Kaleidoscope however is them just treading water and is a bit of a disappointment to me personally. I know they can play well, and the music is recorded as good as always, but its just average, generic prog with not much to recommend it. Its fine if you want some background prog to play while your 'doing the ironing', but does'nt hold my attention as well as their other albums.

They need to up their game if they want to stay at the top of the prog tree. Lets hope the next installment is an improvement. I very much hope so.

For those unfamiliar (which, up until a short time ago, included myself), Transatlantic is a progressive rock/metal supergroup consisting of members of Spock's Beard, Dream Theater, Marillion and The Flower Kings. The band comfortably exists in a common ground between those other four bands' sounds, with complex, highly melodic, long form songs. This by itself it to be applauded, because my experience with each four of these bands separately has been to hear the music drift into listless complexity, only to snap into empty, uninspired melodies. That's not to insult any of these bands, because these are all musicians with some absolutely incredible music along with the missteps. It's just the nature of the territory. Still, before I go farther in discussing the latest Transatlantic release, Kaleidoscope, I do want to say that just striking the balance between melody and complexity so naturally is to be applauded, especially in a supergroup.

That being said, because Transatlantic exists in the comfortable middle ground between the collected musicians' illustrious careers, that comfortable middle ground is remarkably small, and while 'epic' in scope, the musical ambitions of Kaleidoscope are disappointingly small. This also goes with the supergroup territory, but I still have to address it, especially if you're familiar with the careers of Mike Portnoy, Neal Morse, Roine Stolt, and Pete Trewavas: don't expect to hear anything you haven't heard before. That's not to say that these specific combinations aren't fresh, because combining the symphonic talents that Roine Stolt brings to the table with Portnoy's distinct drum passages creates some really cool moments.

What made this album difficult to review though was the expectations. Transatlantic isn't a band I've followed closely at all in the past, but since Portnoy has left Dream Theater, the quality of his output has been improving notably. On top of that, I have an appreciation for what Stolt, Trewavas, and especially Morse ought to be capable of. So when the four put together a completely predictable, but also excellent album, I'm torn. There's a part of me that wants to come down hard on Kaleidoscope, but then I look around and see albums far more ambitious that I'm enjoying far less, and realize that it wouldn't be fair.

What finally brought me around was "Shine." When I was drawing my attention to the bookend epics, the title track, and "Into The Blue," I found them both too long to be significantly memorable. They're excellent songs in their own right, but the more restrained "Shine" is what gave me the outstanding vocal melodies to latch onto, and ignited my real appreciation for this record. Even if I was a bit disappointed in the level of creativity, I can still appreciate when a progressive rock album just sets out to do the genre proud, and there's really something to be said for familiarity done right.

3.75 // 5

Originally posted at www.blackwindmetal.com

If there's a band whose members certainly keep busy, it's Transatlantic. Featuring an international lineup hailing from Sweden, USA, and England, the Morse/Portnoy/Stolt/Trewavas combination is truly magical. The year 2009 saw the reunion of the band after a 7 year hiatus when they released their masterpiece The Whirlwind, an album length piece of music full of emotion, catchy vocals, and complex musicianship to make you wow in excitement at times and shed a tear of joy at others. Five years and a slew of albums later from this all-star quartet in their respective bands leads us to us a stunning new album, Kaleidoscope, clocking in at approximately 75 minutes over the course of 5 tracks; just what the prog doctor ordered. But we're not talking 13 minutes apiece average here. We're talking two epics at a whopping 25 and 32 minutes respectively separated by a trio of shorter tracks that enrich the flow of the album and give us a bit of a breather as we ingest so much epic music.

I'll perhaps be a bit unconventional today and depart from my tendency to review an album from front to back; this time we're starting off with the title track, "Kaleidoscope," an amazing piece offering 30+ minutes of music. The first thing that caught my attention about this one was how Neal Morse-like it sounds. From the start I'm hearing a lot that reminds me of the Testimony albums, everything from the interplay between guitar riffs and keys to some of the hints of eastern music in the first couple of minutes. When Neal's vocals come in we hear what we expect: upbeat, even bouncy/catchy melodies and a chorus in a style we are very familiar with. Everything keeps chugging along in quality-Transatlantic fashion and then at around 8:40 there was something new that struck my ears. There's this melodic melancholy section consisting of a super-juicy Roine lead playing a slow line with savory Mellotron 3 violins swelling in the background; it's a total TFK moment. Pete's moving bass part here is spot on, and when the snare comes in hitting on the beat it is intense. Transition here to Roine on lead vocals for a verse section which is foreboding with just a touch of jazz, great head nodding groove, and this sinister little riff that keeps coming in and out between sections, adding an evocative mood contrast. What's up next is a real treat: a jazzy, Neal laying down some fantastic phrasing on the synth lead followed by perhaps the best of Roine's guitar solos on the album over a bed of marvelous walking bass-lines by Trewavas. About 17 minutes into the track there's a cello melody that carries us up, up and away as Stolt's guitar eventually takes over the melody?supported by loads of strings? before taking us to a big change of pace. Neal pulls out the acoustic guitar and makes the setting a bit more intimate with a little acoustic folk part. The minimalism of the part works out quite nicely and certainly serves to augment the eventual Mellotron swells and little ringing bells. Simple, yet catchy, hooks in this section are a good argument for Portnoy's frequent claims of Neal as a master songwriter. As we move through last 10 minutes or so of the song we get a lot of what us Transatlantic fans crave: screaming Hammond and proggy instrumentals to the max that perfect blend the styles of each performer before capping it off with a big Neal Morse style chorus.

Between the final track, "Kaleidoscope," and the grandiose opener, "Into the Blue," Transatlantic calms it down a bit with two ballad-esque pieces sandwiching a straightforward rocker. The first of these soft pieces is "Shine," a song that recently saw the release of a music video and which many are most likely familiar with at this point. Basically it's a sort of spiritual ballad that's mellow all the way through. Of course, Roine's solos on this one are uber-tasty, but what really came as a surprise was the Beetle's-esque moment in the middle of the track where Mike Portnoy delivers fantastic vocals. For those who may or may not be Dream Theater fans and who have often complained about Mike's vocals, I can assure you that his trippy hippy singing on this one really hit the mark and made me hoping for more of this sort of thing from Mike in the future. Following "Shine" is "Black as the Sky," a rocking neo-proggy piece that banks on being catchy and hard-hitting, plowing through with big sound and loads of keyboard leads all the way. Finally, the trio of short pieces ends with "Beyond the Sun," a song that will blind you with its uplifting beauty. The instrumentation is interesting here, pretty much just cello, piano, and Roine's reverb-laded guitar leads doing all kinds of bendy Gilmour-esque stuff, making heavy use of of swells and ambiance. With excellent melodies and a gorgeous mood to boot, this piece is certainly heavenly and, as a bonus, leads in perfectly to the closer: "Kaleidoscope."

I figured I should leave the best for last, and in the case of the new Transatlantic album, the most impressive piece certainly is the opener, "Into the Blue." This massive track kicks off the record by deftly moving from a beautiful cello melody to a triumphant theme in Transatlantic style. The band wastes no time to go all guns blazing with Portnoy upping the intensity to 11 with fierce drum solos over a section that screams out The Flower Kings? always a good move in my book. From there we move into one of Roine's signature heavy classic rock guitar riffs; soloing ensues on all ends before a simple (yet memorable) dark melody as the band preps us for the first verse. At this point the style makes a massive shift into the Neil Morse songwriter direction as Neal delivers "The Dreamer and the Healer." Slow rotor Hammond takes over with sustained guitar, subtle shifts in bass, tron 3 violin swells, and a powerful sense of nostalgia carrying us to an uplifting chorus and beyond. Following a heavenly post-chorus full of synth leads and choirs, the song takes us back to the heavy guitar riff we saw earlier, but this time replaces it quickly with a bass line and Stolt on vocals, reminding very much of the last two Flower Kings records. The solo section here really gets powerful with Roine's creative phrasing and some ultra-tasty drumming by Mr. Portnoy. The build here is absolutely incredible with Mike and Neal laying down dose after dose of added intensity with Mike's drumming really shining all through the massive build up following the guitar solo, terminating in a gigantic sonic explosion.

After almost 17 minutes of pure prog bliss I asked myself, "how can it get any better?" Enter Daniel Gildenlow, frontman of Swedish modern progger's Pain of Salvation. Over a ambient tapestry of sound, Gildenlow's delicate, emotional voice, poignant use of dynamic and phrasing, and mammoth range prove here that he is one of the absolute best singers in prog. The section is very Morse, but Daniel's voice is just what elevates it from great to spectacular. As sparkly acoustic guitars and Mellotron flute come in we get another verse before an explosive pipe-organ section with Neal's voice entering the stage again; the contrast is, at first, a move from heavenly to ominous, but the chord changes do lighten it up a bit. From here to the end we see the return of principal themes teetering on a catwalk between foreboding and triumphant before taking us to a final uplifting chorus. When silence returns and you feel the sweat running down your forehead, you realize that in the next 11 months which will round out 2014 this song will be the standard by which all others are judged. It's that good.

And there you have it. At this point I feel like I should be saying "Another year gone by and Transatlantic leaves all other albums from this year in their dust." Unfortunately it's only January, and there's still plenty of time for many brilliant albums to come out, and I'm sure this year will see many mind-blowing prog releases. Regardless, when it comes to Kaleidoscope, the bottom line is that the Morse, Stolt, Portnoy, Trewavas combination once again delivers some of the finest epic pieces we could could ask for.

The opening epic in 5 movements can't get much symphonic than this and is for me the highlight of the album - the band delivers as a superbly tight unit and Morse using a large diversity of keyboards adds up to the immense flood of music compacted in over 25 minutes of continuous amusement - 5 stars.

The following lovely mid-tempo ballad with plenty of vocal harmonies and a Roine's guitar solo gets 4 stars.

Black As The Sky is sung by Roine but doesn't live up to the rest of the album and could well have been left out - 2 stars.

Beyond The Sun is pleasantly performed by Morse with only acoustic piano and the help of cello and pedal steel, but finally is just an average song - 3 stars.

Closing second epic of the album, Kaleidoscope is reparted by 7 sections, and it's again a lesson of competence and musicianship by the four performers but for my taste the composition is not so inspired as on the other epic. Nevertheless surely deserves my 4 stars.

Overall: Good album, but not excellent, by a great, great band composed by four musicians of the highest level that are always a pleasure to listen to. Four shining stars !

Respecting the Bonus Disc with eight covers: It surely amazes me the competent performance of these so faithful versions, but for me it doesn't go beyond the simple curiosity of comparing them with the originals (my usual stance about covers in general, btw, with few exceptions)

'Kaleidoscope' is the fourth studio release by the 'supergroup' Transatlantic. This is an album that comes after three stellar ones, so the expectations were, of course, quite high. Here, the band does what one would expect them to do ' a massive album bookmarked by two monstrous epics with a few shorter songs in between. We also get five vocalists throughout the whole thing (!), as Morse, Stolt, Portnoy, Trewavas, and the guest Daniel Gildenlow all have vocal duties.

Opening track 'Into the Blue' might be my most favorite thing from this band, it is absolutely majestic and memorable, it has some genius vocal harmonies by Neal Morse and the performance of all the other members is top notch. 'Shine' is a nice ballad-type band effort that was released as a single, if I am not wrong, with everyone in the band taking the spotlight on different parts of the song. 'Black as the Sky' is a punchy and proggy track with great vocal harmonies and an in-your-face chorus, much in the spirit of some of their 70s favorites like Tull or Focus. 'Beyond the Sun' is a little Neal solo piece leading up to the 32-minute title track ' which I feel is not as strong as 'Into the Blue' but quite spectacular as well. The instrumental sections on this one are the least to say impressive, and the chemistry between the players is enviable!

Excellent music, another really good release from Transatlantic, and a great addition to symphonic prog lovers' (and not only) collection.

Before Kaleidoscope we hadn't really had what you could call a "business as usual" Transatlantic album. The debut saw them not having gelled yet as a group, Bridge Across Forever found them delivering a more cohesive sound and later took on extra weight due to immediately preceding the hiatus of the band, and The Whirlwind was not just the return of Transatlantic, but also a return of Neal Morse to working as a part of band projects.

Since then, Neal seems to have found a new balance between his turning out his overtly Christian-themed solo work on the one hand and participating in bands whose music have less specifically religion themes on the other hand; after The Whirlwind he'd also crop up in Flying Colours and make guest appearances live and in the studio with Spock's Beard.

With Neal's creativity spread out like this, one might expect him to take a back seat compositionally speaking - reserving his most Transatlantic-like ideas for this, using other ideas on projects better suited to them, and giving his other bandmates room to contribute. Certainly, it's hard to judge what proportion of the music is contributed by which band member on Transatlantic releases, since they generally share the credit communally - but I certainly hear more of The Flower Kings on here than I remember on previous albums, suggesting that Roine Stolt's quirky, sometimes Zappa-influenced approach to prog had a particularly big influence this time around. (He also sings lead on Black As the Sky and certain other sections.)

It's not that the other members are absent here - far from it. Neal's combination of uplifting, soaring crescendos, lyrics which you can read a Christian meaning into if you want but don't have to, and nods to the 1960s pop scene that early prog grew out of are all here too, Portnoy and Trewavas are still pulling their weight in the rhythm section, this might be a Kaleidoscope but it isn't a revolution in the band's sound.

Since their reunion, Transatlantic haven't exactly been cranking out albums at a massive rate - part of that is probably down to everyone having day jobs with other musical projects to balance, of course, but to my ears it seems like they're also trying to make sure that each Transatlantic release is a little special. As I said at the start of this review, they hadn't put out a "business as usual" album before this one - and they don't do it this time either.

Review Nº 764

Transatlantic is a progressive rock super band formed in 2000 by Neal Morse of Spock's Beard and Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater. Originally intending to include guitarist Jim Matheos of Fates Warning, Morse and Portnoy decided to include Roine Stolt of Flower Kings when Matheos was unable to participate. The band ended their line up by adding Pete Trewavas of Marillion. Their debut album, "SMPT:e" of 2000 received strong and rave reviews. Their second album, "Bridge Across Forever" of 2001 finds the band affixing the form that prog rock is known for. Their third album "The Whirlwind" of 2009 arise after a break of almost seven years. The fourth album "Kaleidoscope" was released in 2014.

"Kaleidoscope" is available in two formats, a double edition and a special edition, which is mine. The double edition has two CD's. The first CD has the main album with five original tracks. The second CD has eight tracks, which are eight cover songs. The eight cover songs are "And You And I" of Yes, "Can't Get It Out Of My Head" of Electric Light Orchestra, "Conquistador" of Procol Harum, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" of Elton John, "Tin Soldier" of Small Faces, "Sylvia" of Focus, "Indiscipline" of King Crimson and "Nights In White Satin" of The Moody Blues. The special edition, beyond the main album and the bonus disc, contains also a DVD that contains the making of "Kaleidoscope", a promo video clip of the track "Shine" and images behind the scenes. This is probably the version that most fans will desire.

The line up on the album is Roine Stolt (vocals, electric guitars and percussion), Neal Morse (vocals, keyboards and acoustic guitars), Pete Trewavas (vocals and bass) and Mike Portnoy (vocals and drums). The album had also the participation of Daniel Gildenlow (vocals), Rich Mouser (pedal steel guitar) and Chris Carmichael (cello).

If you like progressive rock music, you surely know or at least heard of the super group Transatlantic. As many of we know, the band's formation is a true constellation of progressive stars. All these super musicians met again in 2013 and planned a new studio work, "Kaleidoscope". "Kaleidoscope" is a long album, over an hour, and only five songs, which can chase away the listener who hates long tracks guitar and keyboard solos and long intros. But, Transatlantic knows how to reconcile very well in each song heavier and lighter passages, more poppy and accessible with passages of pure rhythmic smashing. Regardless of the taste of each one, they are all very well elaborated tracks that bring together everything that this band has already shown in previous albums, what really is the progressive rock primer is all about.

About the five tracks, "Into The Blue" is the first epic. It's the typical opening song for a Transatlantic's album. With 25 minutes, it's a complete journey divided into five parts, "Overture", "The Dreamer And The Healer", "A New Beginning", "Written In Your Heart" and "The Dreamer And The Healer (reprise)", obeying to a very common logic in the classical music and reused by progressive rock. Each of these parts contains its own riffs, solos, choruses and vocal melodies, making of "Into The Blue" a set of tracks united by the same narrative idea and the melodic theme. "Shine" is a lovely heartfelt number, a ballad with a very calm and a nice engaging groove. All four members of Transatlantic have their opportunity to sing. The whole band participates, giving vigour to the song. "Black As The Sky" is a vigorous song, one of the best on the album. While the keyboards and guitar are the main instruments on the song, there's a great interplay between bass and drums throughout the entire track. "Beyond The Sun" is the least emblematic track on the album and one of the weakest in Transatlantic's discography. It serves as an interlude between the previous and the next track. It's neither a thrilling song as the previous one, nor as beautiful as "Shine". "Kaleidoscope" is the second epic. It's almost 32 minutes divided into seven parts "Overture", "Ride The Lightning", "Black Gold", "Walking The Road", "Desolation Days", "Lemon Looking Glass" and "Ride The Lightning (reprise)". It's exciting, beautiful, well made and well produced. It takes advantage of the skill of all musicians. It delivers very accessible sessions to the audience for any listener to be able to connect with its verses, choruses and rhythms. But, like every great epic progressive track, there are many sophisticated harmony passages and different time signatures. This is a true progressive epic piece in all its aspects.

Conclusion: Once again, some will say that Transatlantic doesn't propose anything new and is content to reproduce what they have already done in the past. It's true it has the same formula you've heard before and that offers very little in the way of experimentation or newness. But, it's done just as well as ever. Due to its technical quality and its above-average production, "Kaleidoscope" remains a fascinating album. Every element you expect is there fully. In the end, this is music adventurous, intricate, and fun that deserves acclaim, regardless of how identifiable it sounds. The fact that these great musicians can reunite compose and perform so well, it's reason enough to celebrate. The quartet still stands as a dominant force in its field. Let's hope they keep it going for years and years to come. So, fans will love it.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)