InsideOut (2009)
There are a lot of so-called supergroups, or all-star bands around. Not all of them are great, and many sell more because of the involved parties than the music itself. Often the musicians save their best songs for their main bands, and the collaborations look better on paper than what becomes the result. Transatlantic is NOT one of those cases. Transatlantic compose great music together!
Neal Morse (ex-Spock’s Beard), Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings), Pete Trewavas (Marillion) and Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) formed the supergroup Transatlantic in 1999. In a few years they released two studio albums and two live albums. Then Morse became a Christian, and left Spock’s Beard to pursuit a solo career, and in 2003 Transatlantic too called it quits.
Finally, in 2009, the four gentlemen decided it was time to pick up where they left six years ago. Luckily for us, I might add. For what an amazing album they’ve come up with! “The Whirlwind” is by far one of the best progressive rock albums I’ve heard in years! Actually, I was quite tired of the genre, and had almost lost interest, but now I’m listening to Transatlantic every day. There’s not ONE new album that I’ve listened as much to as this one. Every day for the last couple of months, at least once a day. And it’s still growing.
“The Whirlwind” is actually one long composition (78 minutes!), only cut up in parts 1-12. The music is progressive in the true sense of the word, and still after over a hundred spins, I’m discovering new details. It varies from neck-breaking technical instrumental parts to melodies so beautiful your heart will melt completely. Neal is a wizard on the keys, Roine plays with enormous emotion and feeling, Mike is really an amazing drummer, and Pete is God on the bass. And of course they’re all great singers, which results in breathtaking vocal harmonies.
As I said, “The Whirlwind” is not a collection of songs, but a whole composition. But even if it was single songs, it’d be impossible to mention single tracks. This is musical perfection from beginning to end!
By the way, I’ve come to realize that this is truly the best album of 2009. But for anyone wondering why it wasn’t on my list here on Imhotep, I got it too late to include it, unfortunately.
www.transatlanticweb.com
www.myspace.com/transatlanticprog
www.insideout.de
Composed by Affen