Transatlantic
Kaleidoscope

2014 started off quite well. Right away, it brought us the eagerly awaited new album from Transatlantic, the progressive rock supergroup formed by former Spock's Beard singer and keyboardist Neal Morse, former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy, Marillion bassist Pete Trewavas, and Flower Kings guitarist Roine Stolt. A band primarily known for long suites, giving very little space to short tracks, and for a sound clearly faithful to the glorious progressive rock of the '70s (Yes above all).

I usually love to call them a "suite-band," perhaps THE suite-band par excellence. Probably the group that introduced the most classic progressive to many young people in the 2000s; I imagine many young metalheads or progmetal fans who love Dream Theater would have been curious to listen to this side project involving Mike Portnoy, thus discovering the true progressive genre and perhaps going on to deepen their understanding of the golden era of progressive rock, becoming genuine fans of the genre, from being metalheads sympathetic to progressive metal as they were.

"Kaleidoscope," the band's fourth studio work, does not change the coordinates of their proposal. Once again, we are faced with classic and canonical '70s-styled progressive rock, and once again, dominating the album are two long suites. However, this time in between the two epics, there are also three significantly short tracks; it's practically the first time that a Transatlantic album features as many as three tracks with a duration well under ten minutes.

Probably after the exaggeration of "The Whirlwind" with its single 77-minute composition, the four realized they wanted to rediscover the beauty of more concise yet still intense compositions. However, the suites continue to be dominant as they alone fill 57 minutes of the total 75 minutes of the album, despite constituting (for the first time) less than half of the tracks (2 out of 5).

But let's delve into the tracks. The album opens with the first of the two suites, "Into the Blue." 25 minutes that fly by swiftly without weighing the listener down. The initial minutes are very lively, with Portnoy's varied and frenetic drumming and a Roine Stolt equally dynamic; but the initial energy then gives way to a delicate and dreamlike part, with gentle keyboard layers; the most interesting part, however, is the middle section, with a very fusion-like flavor, marked by dark bass lines and a splendid crescendo solo by an ever-expressive Stolt; also noteworthy is the evocative part sung by Daniel Gildenlow of Pain of Salvation, a tour member in the previous two tours but not participating in the one planned for "Kaleidoscope" due to serious health problems that have affected him.

Right after the suite, there is space for the short tracks (I allow myself this "olympic" term, since we are indeed in an Olympic period). The first is "Shine," a splendid 7-and-a-half-minute ballad, an intense and touching song with a simple yet essential melody primarily guided by the acoustic guitar and organ layers that integrate very well with the melody; again in the spotlight is Stolt with an emotional guitar solo. Next is the lively "Black as the Sky," where the suite-band demonstrates its ability to concentrate its elements in just 6 and a half minutes; this time, the keyboards of Neal Morse dominate, who sings little here but stands out with intricate synth passages, special effects, and distorted organs; also noteworthy are the heavy bass lines and a dynamic Portnoy who accompanies with sudden hits the synth parts; for the driving rhythm, the distorted organs, the very choral refrain, and the instrumental interweavings, the track strongly recalls "Devil's Got My Throat" by Spock's Beard, demonstrating how much Morse still holds his old band close to his heart, in which his brother continues to play. Then there's "Beyond the Sun," which is practically a solo piece by Morse, somewhat like "Bridge Across Forever" at the time: a warm and welcoming piano and voice ballad but with additional inserts (entrusted to external musicians) of steel guitar and cello: four and a half minutes of relaxation to prepare for the true masterpiece of the album...

Yes, because the time comes for the other suite, "Kaleidoscope," which surpasses 31 minutes and gives the album its title. A varied, dynamic, and unpredictable suite, less smooth than the other but never verbose; in any case, complete, it encompasses all the band's elements, developing them in the best possible way, without any element feeling lacking or underdeveloped but also without excessively overloading any part with needlessly repeated solutions. For me, one of the high points of their discography! The beginning is lively with intricate guitar-organ passages followed by an even more lively part, with Stolt's almost funky guitar and flowing, rich organ passages. The subsequent parts are very evocative, sung first by Roine Stolt and then by Pete Trewavas; especially in the latter, the guitar work is more than ever focused on melody, with delicate and emotional touches. But it is after the beautiful part dominated by the acoustic guitar that the vortex unleashes: there, they probably touch the peaks of the entire album thanks to driving rhythms, sudden and frequent tempo changes, rich synths and interesting sounds, noteworthy instrumental interweavings and dialogues, well-fitted orchestral arrangements before the pompous but more moderate finale.

Once again, a great show of character from Transatlantic, who, although not adding anything particularly new to their proposal, confirm themselves as a band always very tight-knit and inspired, capable of adding a touch of personality to their compositions even if inspired by the '70s. Notable performances by some individuals: Roine Stolt is more inspired and enterprising than ever, but also Mike Portnoy's drumming proves to be decidedly varied, never verbose, and even rich with interesting ideas, almost in response to those who criticize his excessive lack of ideas (even if frankly his absence in Dream Theater is not being felt due to the more prepared and unpredictable Mike Mangini). Another aspect to highlight is the greater space given to the vocal parts of Stolt and Trewavas, with Morse seeming to almost lose the role of main vocalist; just listen to the two suites but especially "Black as the Sky" where he is practically limited to the choruses in the refrain.

In conclusion, the release is highly praised, and now nothing else is awaited but their imminent stop in Italy, in Milan and Rome, after the sold-out in Milan four years ago.