Overture / Reaching for The Sky (Transatlantic, 2021)

Once you've find your path through the different versions of Transatlantic's "The Absolute Universe" album, you'll find, I'm sure, one of the best prog releases of the 2020s. This couple of tracks make up one of the official videos by the band and this is how the Abridged version (also titled The Breath of Life) begins... and it's a great way to start! The instrumental overture includes both recurring themes of the album and a rich palette of variations and digressions, among which I must single out a stunning electric guitar solo and a highly creative bass line, not to mention the extraordinary skills of all members, never too showy and always at the service of the great picture. 

The cover arts alone would be a good enough reason to buy all the album's versions...

The following "Reaching for The Sky" develops the same highly dynamic pattern of the Overture, adding vocal contributions by all the band's members - Morse's one is perhaps my favourite one - on a new captivating theme and a (simply perfect) final guitar solo by Roine Stolt. I'm also fond of the rythm section's work on both tracks, but the likes of  Portnoy and Trewavas need no introduction. No doubt: this is true, quintessential, good old prog!

Kaleidoscope (Transatlantic, 2014)

I know Transatlantic epics may be too long and too intricate, even for prog ears. But I actually like this "Kaleidoscope", despite its huge duration time. It's a seven part suite, a real one, not a random rhapsody, nor a collection of songs without pauses. Not only the melodies are good and the players among the best ones in the worldwide prog scene, but there is a strong structure, a beautiful architecture supporting this song. The different moods, tempos and themes are lined up following a pleasant scheme and the returning riffs and lines punctuate this composition giving a variated and coherent shape.

"Kaleidoscope" was the fourth studio album by Transatlantic.

The first half of "Kaleidoscope" (lest's say parts 1, 2 and 3) are strongly influenced by Roine Stolt, while the second half seems less "Flower Kings-oriented" and each musician and author adds his own recognizable musical world to the big picture: Neal Morse's prog ballads, Mike Portnoy's energetic crescendos and Pete Trewavas' unpredictable changes. Different souls and different stories are just like one here, and the bonus gift is... emotion!

Duel with The Devil (Transatlantic, 2001)

This epic, taken from "Bridge across Forever", the second album of the supergroup Transatlantic, is a five movement suite, probably one of their best compositions and performances and, IMHO, one of the best from any prog group of the 21th century. In a way, it's a very traditional prog epic, with all the most common ingredients of this genre in it: tempo changes, instrumental progressions, rock riffs, atmospheric ridges, epic lyrics, complex arrangements, returning melodies and so on. But it's a new and fresh song too, the real fruit of a cooperative work involving all the band members and full of joy, emotions, surprise and energy. That's why it can't possibly get old or trivial.

Transatlantic are, left to right, Pete Trewavas (Marillion & more),

Mike Portnoy (ex Dream Theater), Neal Morse (ex Spock's Beard)

and Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings, Kaipa & more).

As those musicians are among the best ones in the current prog rock scene, when they work together and they share so many good ideas as in this suite, the outcome is simply stunning. "Duel with the Devil" is a challenging piece of music, with slow and fast movements and ever changing moods, also open to some jamming-born passages. So, classically ruled tunes follow jazzy, wild sections and also the instrumentation is unusually rich for the band, with additional violin, viola and cello by Chris Carmichael, Keith Mears' sax and even the charming Elite female choir. An abundance that never becomes confusion or musical pastiche, a variety that prevents tiredness and boredom.