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"Due to its technical quality and its above-average production, "Kaleidoscope" remains a fascinating album to own absolutely."
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4/5
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Transatlantic is a progressive rock super-group founded in 1999 by Mike Portnoy. Due to the various projects of each of its members, the band has only offered a few studio albums since 2003 but is again swarming with beautiful projects with a European tour, their presence as headliner at the "Progressive Nation At Sea" and the release of this fourth and new studio album 'Kaleidoscope'.
Musically the style is based on sounds from progressive rock legends. The bass lines of Pete Trewavas are very present, the keyboards are varied and powerful and in tune with the whole, Roine Stolt's guitar is fabulous and precise and above all Mike Portnoy strike for our great pleasure. Finally Neal Morse's voice (whether we like it or not) remains superb, regularly supported by those of Mike, Neal and Daniel Gildenlöw from Pain Of Salvation.
The opus features three tracks in a classical format of 5-6 min and two epic tracks of 27 and 35 min. These two titles are quite complex and well representative of what Transatlantic use to offer to with its previous productions. The shorter tracks and in particular "Shine" and "Beyond The Sun" are simple and a bit too honeyed, certainly oriented for the US market and radios. It's probably for this reason that "Shine" is the title track released as a preview for the album, a questionable choice since it's so unremarkable. The other short track is better constructed with a vocal that will remind us of Steve Hogarth's in the choruses and which proposes a sublime instrumental part in which all the musicians express themselves in chorus. The third track in this format, "Black As The Sky", is built like a hard Rock track, especially in terms of vocals and choruses, distilling in a rather surprising way the scent of Iron Maiden"!
It will be quite difficult to describe the two big epics of the album "Into The Blue" and "Kaleidoscope". Built on an equivalent basis, namely a convoluted introduction, a development around the main theme in 4 or 5 parts, a catchy chorus and finally a cover of the theme at the end of the song, they are inspired by the 70's prog music that fed our 4 friends but with a sound and styles that have been reworked, digested and modernised. They give themselves thoroughly in their respective fields by proposing as usual chained themes, orphéons always well done, breaks or improvisations. These two epics, very thorough and well done, give purely enjoyable moments with notably cello passages played by Chris Carmichael, which bring a real plus to the band.
Once again, some will say that Transatlantic does not propose anything new and is content to reproduce what they have already done in the past. Nevertheless, due to its technical quality and its above-average production, "Kaleidoscope" remains a fascinating album to own absolutely.
Note: The album is also available in a double CD format with a cover CD and a "making off" DVD. - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. Into The Blue 02. Shine 03. Black As The Sky 04. Beyond The Sun 05. Kaleidoscope
LINEUP:
Mike Portnoy: Chant / Batterie Neal Morse: Chant / Guitares / Claviers Pete Trewavas: Chant / Basse Roine Stolt: Chant / Guitares
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(0) MIND(S) FROM OUR READERS
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Top of the page
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(2) COMMENT(S)
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The album may not have been released or the spotify ID has not yet been entered or there is no spotify ID available
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READERS
4.3/5 (16 view(s))
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STAFF:
3.8/5 (4 view(s))
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IN RELATION WITH TRANSATLANTIC
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LAST INTERVIEW
TRANSATLANTIC (DECEMBER 10, 2020)
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The tireless Neal Morse is back on Music Waves, this time to evoke the return of Transatlantic with the release of their new album, "The Absolute Universe".
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"Osmium out now !" |
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OTHER REVIEWS
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OTHER(S) REVIEWS ABOUT TRANSATLANTIC
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