TRANSATLANTIC

The setlist was (almost) perfect, revisiting the entire discography (except Kaleidoscope... it would be great to hear 'Shine' or 'Black as the Sky', or even better, a bit of 'Kaleidoscope' inside the Medley), but... The Absolute Universe Ultimate Edition, Whirlwind Medley, WE ALL NEED SOME LIGHT, and the Final Medley with sections of their best prog epics... almost 3h of epicness, I think it's fine.

Goosebumps since minute one when the intro started. The Absolute Universe was a long album, but watching it live makes it better. The 'Overture' was an incredible prog exhibition with all members showing their skills. This first CD has no pauses or moments to disconnect. The songs flowed perfectly smoothly, increasing the tension until 'Looking for the Light' (really powerful performance) and 'The World We Used to Know', ending the first set with an emotional Transatlantic-ish short moment. 'Bully' sounded really strong too and 'Rainbow Sky', the most poppy song, was really fun actually.

The second part of the Absolute Universe started with the Mike Portnoy speech, there was almost no salutations until that moment. CD2 is less powerful than the first one but it has some of the most emotional moments, like 'Solitude' with Pete singing, beautiful song... and 'Can You Feel It?', a typical Morse happy section from the Abridged version, but personally it's a shoot of energy that song in that moment of the album, goosebumps... After that, the tension increases until the big melodic theme at the end, with all people standing up, waving arms and singing in unison.

The second part of the show was spectacular: Whirlwind Medley was like "Is It Really Happening?", it was incredible. No words, music speaks by itself. 'We All Need Some Light', the most emotional song I've heard live, a really clever choice for a last song, before the Final Medley breaks in. 'Duel with the Devil', 'My New World', 'All of the Above' and ending with the best closing section of all time, 'Stranger In Your Soul', the crowd was like a sea of waving arms. What else can we say? This concert should not end...

A special evening in an incredible venue, one of the concerts of the century, Transatlantic is the synonym of prog.

To enable them to fully realise their vision, Neal Morse (keyboards, acoustic guitar, vocals), Mike Portnoy (drums, vocals), Roine Stolt (guitar, vocals), and Pete Trewavas (bass, vocals) brought in Ted Leonard (guitar, keyboards, percussion, vocals), making that supergroup just a little more super. This means we have three people who are normally lead singers in their own right, a rhythm section where both players have sold multiple millions of albums, and a list of bands they have been involved with which all progheads know and love. But all of that would stand for nothing if the music they were writing and performing together did not stand up against the expectations, but Transatlantic have been incredibly consistent since the outset, putting their egos at the door and doing whatever it takes to come up with the best group outcome. I have long thought that Pete does this to take any from the boredom and banality of working in Marillion, as that band is nothing like it used to be, and here he can really demonstrate his skills in a style which totally suits him. Roine and Neal love bouncing off each other both vocally and musically, while Mike is always one of the happiest drummers one can find and his love of working with Neal is apparent give all their collaborations together over the years (and if you have yet to see the Yellow Matter Custard DVD then you need to seek it out). Ted Leonard has fitted in seamlessly, just as he has in Spock's Beard, but the very first time I saw him perform was with the wonderful Enchant and is another I have always rated very highly indeed.

Although this concert may not actually be the end of the road for Transatlantic, they are all realists and given how long it takes for them to produce a new album it is quite possible they may be too old to play a three-hour concert in future. As Roine said, "I felt the challenge of learning, or re-learning, three-and-a-half hours of music before leaving Sweden. Now that I am getting slightly older, I was a little worried about playing for that long ? it requires a lot of concentration: 'Is this one in 7/8 or 9/8? Maybe we'll play it in 13/8 and in a different key?" Of course, when they hit the stage there were no issues whatsoever and the reaction from the crowd is wonderful. There is a point when Neal says they were considering playing just two hours and letting the crowd sing the rest and the dismay was palpable, so he quickly gave in and said they would play for three after all. When you bring together Spock's Beard, The Flower Kings, Dream Theater and Marillion in one place, the result is what you hear on this album, with four musicians performing wonderful flowing complex and intricate progressive rock which has its roots firmly in the Seventies (and even a few hints from the Sixties) but brought right up to date and polished until it gleams.

There is another live album due, showcasing the band at 'Morsefest', but this concert was after that one, so this may well be the last show from the band. If that is the case then they can rest easy, as more than 20 years into their career they produced yet another wonderful album and then took it on the road and absolutely nailed it.

Musically, what can we say? All of the musicians show their great individual skills but with a solid band writing, and a nice mix by Rich Mouser. In this record, they sound more like a band. After a decade since their two first albums (SMPTe and Bridge Across Forever), they returned with these mature compositions, showing a great evolution individually and a great complicity as bandmates. Without any doubt this album was their best job.

This is a must in prog rock history.

The audio quality of this release is incredible, it captures the essence of the musicians, a lot of inspiration, songs performed with extreme perfection, which is to be expected.

This band always moves me with their musical nuances, the epic, they are great fits in their music, essential melodies.

I really like the addition of Ted Leonard, he has a great voice that contrasts very well with the other musicians.

4 stars for just one detail, I love the transition from "My New World" but it wasn't performed, cutting to "All of the Above: Full Moon Rising" ...

finally, another great release that is indicated for every lover of prog rock.

That said, if you're into Transatlantic's retro-prog leanings at all, your instincts will likely lean towards the longer version of the album, which isn't actually that much long - 90 minutes vs. 64 minutes. It's more of the band's usual sound, mashing up elements of Spock's Beard and The Flower Kings as they have since SMPTe, and of the same high quality as they've sustained since Bridge Across Forever.

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.

Formed in 1999, this multinational group was built up by Neal Morse of Spock's Bears (Keyboard, Vocals), and Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater (Drums). They originally wanted Jim Matheos of Fates Warning to be a guitarist for the band, but due to the inability to participate, they got the next best thing, which was Roine Stolt of The Flower Kings (Guitar, Vocals). To complete the lineup, they called in Pete Trewavas of Marillion and Edison's Children (Bass). With this lineup of artists from bands that are extremely well received in the progressive rock community due to their great playing styles, it comes as no surprise that this group would garner a great deal of fame. This unique mix of retro progressive rock, Neo-Prog, and progressive metal and you'll get the brilliant work that is Transatlantic. I have been checking them out a bit recently and so far they have become, slowly but surely, one of my favorite acts in progressive rock. I only listened to two of their albums so far, and I wanted to review one or the other, and I didn't know which one to review, however, I landed on SMPTe ultimately since I think it is interesting to see the origins of a band that has become one of the biggest in terms of progressive rock more so than some of their most legendary works in my mind.

The album begins with the huge 30-minute epic of All Of The Above. The title doesn't lie, this does have pretty much the entire scope of the influences that shaped retro progressive rock. You get that complexity of Yes, those symphonic of Genesis, and the fun stylization of ELP, wrapped up into one big song. With the lineup of musicians we have here, we get some great instrumentation. The star of the show here must be Roine Stolt. His guitar skills are fantastic and goes so well with Neal's singing and Mike's drumming. Speaking of Mike's drumming, I fully believe it just soars to new heights here. It was great in Dream Theater, but here we have him truly embracing those proggy and fun feelings, which helps him a lot in the long run. These two helped shape this epic into a great one for me. However, while I think this is a great epic, I think it has some things that fall short of brilliance. For one, the song has a bit of weird way of ending. It has a big crescendo, a big finale at 26 minutes, and then after 28 minutes it fizzles out, and then we have 3 minutes left of ambient guitars, which I think feels very weird for an ending. I think if they put those ambient guitars on one of the quieter parts then the ending would become a lot better in my mind, while still keeping in tune with the long 31-minute time frame. However that's my only complaint because every aspect of this song, from the playing to the singing, is still virtually the cream of the crop in terms of progressive rock music, so any complaints I can give are gonna be very small in terms of the grand scale this song gives.

Switching away from the big grand epics, we get We All Need Some Light. This is that acoustic soft rock ballad Neal Morse loves to pull out in his albums, especially in his solo career, so I wasn't too surprised to hear it on here. In my mind, this song is very alright. It gets the job done for being that soft-spoken ballad that you might come across, but that is it. The song may be good, but I think all it serves is to get the job done, fill in some space. Compared to any other of Neal's many soft rock songs (from what I have heard) this is the weakest. It does not try to do anything cool or different, it is just another one of those songs they can play at a concert so people can pull out their lighters and sway them from side to side. It is practically just there.

Things do turn around though with Mystery Train. It has that wacky and silly type of progressive rock that sprouts up with more psychedelic influences, especially that of the 60s or 70s, but here with the more symphonic progressive rock type of music found here it comes off a lot different than what you'd expect. This is where they embrace the weirder side of progressive rock, but I feel like it is sort of in that weird middle ground of being completely silly, and still being grounded as a whole, which I think defeats the purpose of the sort of that surreal side. It feels like an experiment, where you can tell they are making great music, it feels like where they are making said great music is one where the members are in different mindsets in the song's direction. It's weird, and in some ways a good fashion, but in others, it is a rather poor way of conveying this type of music.

Getting back to the epics, we have My New World. This is where Roine Stolt comes into really shine a bit more of that Flower Kings sound. We get that jovial, and trippy form of progressive rock here that is helmed by Stolt's lustrous singing here. For a 16-minute epic, it hits all the right spots for me. A great mix of that rock sound, mixed in with a little bit of atmosphere and topped off with a great closure. With it being 16 minutes long, it doesn't overstay its welcome and instead allows the music to evolve in a great fashion. The musicianship here is on point as ever, and everything just fits seamlessly into place. I do not have any gripes on this song. This is their best original song here, and it's very easy to hear why.

Now notice how I said "original" in the last paragraph. Well, that's because My New World is not the best song on the full album, it's close, but it's not the best. That title has to go to the cover of Procol Harum's 1968 epic, In Held 'Twas in I. If you wanted to see a cover song that is better than the original, look no further than here. For the sake of this review I checked out the original epic, and I did fairly enjoy it. I thought it got a good amount of things right as an early progressive rock epic, but some parts felt weaker than others. Here, in the entire whole of the song, no part feels weaker or stronger. Every part of this suite has consistent greatness to it as it meshes together into one big whole. It even modernizes the song in such a way that the original doesn't get lost, but the additions and newer viewing scope help it stand tall more than ever. For a cover, this is a treat to behold, and quite frankly better than what the original had done. If you want a great cover song, look here.

As a whole, this album is amazing, if we only look at the epics. The two shorter tracks loosen this album up a bit for me, and they feel weak as in or out of the listening of this album. The epics however are great, as you'd expect from musicians that are some of the best in progressive music. I think this album is interesting because after this they seem to focus more on stretches of music, especially on The Whirlwind. With this, it's clear that this album as a whole is an experiment to see what route they want to go in, whether it be towards long and amazing epics, or towards the shorter song route, and ultimately, for the better, they went for the longer songs. I think this album is a great example of the differences in the facets that make progressive rock as it is. I say check it if you want some great retro progressive rock, however, I do suggest starting with The Whirlwind first since that album is much, much better than this one, but if you have the time then do check in on it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A major work.

'The Breath of Life' comes in at 64 minutes long, so some 26 minutes shorter than the other release. Some songs have been cut in length, others have been cut out altogether, but due to the relationship between the two releases it is virtually impossible to review them both, as in many ways they are different sides of the same coin, and the largest variation is actually in time. Yes, we have different recordings and singers, different versions and edits, but this is pretty much the same album, just shorter. 'Short" is not a word often associated with Transatlantic, as they have built a reputation on not only being master songwriters and performers, but also stretching performances. I still remember the first time I heard 'Live In Europe' ? I was absolutely blown away, even there were only five songs on a double CD release which was 140 minutes in length.

We don't want brevity, we want excess, and while 'Forevermore' isn't massively overly dramatic, it does give us 26 minutes more than this, and if I was only to own one then it would be that one, and not this. But, given I am reviewing both it is obvious I have both albums, and love them dearly. I guess the only real solution is to buy the limited deluxe clear 5LP+3CD+Blu-Ray Box-set ? contained within a foil-finished lift-off box with extended 16-page LP booklet & 60x60cm poster. This is yet another superb release, yet not quite as good as the longer one.