Transatlantic
SMPT

Each era has its own supergroup: during the early '70s, the prog wizards Emerson, Lake and Palmer were formed; in the early '80s, John Wetton, Geoff Downes, Steve Howe, and Carl Palmer formed Asia, delivering excellent albums; in the 2000s, it's time for the immense Transatlantic.

Four illustrious men playing progressive form a band: Roine Stolt (guitar) from Flower Kings, Neal Morse (keyboards, vocals) from Spock's Beard, Mike Portnoy (drums) from Dream Theater, and finally the grand Pete Trewavas (bass) from Marillion. It can be said that theirs is a prog quite pure, filled with complex passages and sometimes some virtuosity, the result of a solid formation that immediately found a good harmony, in addition to the advanced technical level each member of the group possesses. In short, they are first-rate musicians.

There are multiple influences, but mainly it can be stated that each brought a little something from their original band, even if here and there, we can sense how great their passion for the Beatles is (especially in some choruses and piano parts). The album title is nothing but the acronym of their last names' initials. The computerized cover is very futuristic, with these airships destined to become the band's logo. The first to open the show is the phantasmagorical and lengthy suite All Of The Above of over 30 minutes, divided into 6 parts:

I. Full Moon Rising, a great intro in the name of the most majestic progressive, with various and varied passages, until reaching the main theme divinely sung by Neal Morse, with a slightly funky guitar by Roine Stolt, which in some passages reminds us of Steve Howe. II. October Winds, where the singing slows down a bit, while the guitar and keyboard interludes work diligently, with a touch of Jazz played by the piano. III. Camouflaged In Blue, perhaps the most beautiful part of the entire Suite, is ethereal, well-conceived, and structured, introduced by the great bass arpeggio of Trewavas. IV. Half Alive, the rhythm picks up again, with a recurring synthesizer riff already heard in the intro. Good piece. V. Undying Love is another suggestive moment, this time more acoustic, where the choruses are sung perfectly, followed by intricate instrumental passages once again. VI. Full Moon Rising (Reprise) is the reprise of the main initial theme with the usual grand finale.

The second track is We All Need Some Light, acoustic and majestic, with a strong melodic part and a poetic chorus. Mystery Train, on the other hand, decisively changes tone and is more experimental, very powerful, a good example of modern progressive. My New World is once again a Suite, introduced by strings, then transitioning to a piano piece that seems to come out of a Beatles album, in the style of Lady Madonna and singing style of Fool On The Hill, in a 2000s key. The central part encloses almost extreme progressive. Substantially pleasant. The last track is also a suite, In Held (Twas) In I, and is nothing more than a reinterpretation of a Procol Harum piece, in fact, it is signed Brooker/Fisher/Reid. Recited parts, music at times obtrusive, at times very simple, musicians truly monstrous in executing it, but perhaps it is not the most exciting track on the whole album.

In the Limited Edition version, there is also a second CD that includes a different version of My New World, We All Need Some Light sung by Roine Stolt, jammed studio versions of Honky Tonk Woman and Oh Darlin', and finally the Demo of My Cruel World, plus an interactive PC section, which is perhaps the most interesting part of this Bonus CD. Furthermore, this double version is packaged in a digipak, in a booklet of about twenty pages with color photos, lyrics of the songs, detailed credits, and an interview with the group members. SMPTe is undoubtedly an extraordinary work, both in listening and in realization, but perhaps its only flaw is the prolixity which, while not making this album tedious, annoying, or even less heavy, nevertheless makes it rather demanding to listen to. To listen to this album, a strong 77 minutes are needed (the score would actually be a 4.5) in which one must, for the most part, concentrate on the music.

In short a masterpiece that should, however, be savored with the right measures and doses.