TransAtlantic
SMPTe

A few weeks ago, a major piece of news made the rounds: Transatlantic will return! They are a supergroup formed by Neal Morse (then vocalist of Spock's Beard), voice and keyboards, Roine Stolt, the talented vocalist and guitarist of the Flower Kings, Pete Trewavas, bassist of Marillion, and Mike Portnoy, the unbeatable drummer of Dream Theater. They've only released two albums, dated 2000 and 2001, plus two live albums, and then they disappeared... each went their own way and that was that! It's not done! Clearly, the anticipation was building! Especially for a big lover of progressive rock! It's sad to see a band disappear so suddenly after leaving a mark with two truly remarkable works! And if indeed this news of their return to the studio after 7 years of silence is not a hoax, then we really begin to raise our hands only to shout... "ole!"

But in the meantime, let's move on to what the band has left us tangibly during their time in the progressive scene.

In 2000, the band debuted with an excellent album, truly excellent. It simply bears the initials of their surnames plus a letter from the bassist's name. The title is simply "SMPTe"... The musical background of the members (all part of prog formations) means that their music is expressed in the form of true, traditionalist progressive rock, for longtime lovers of the genre; nothing particularly innovative, as typical of productions led by Neal Morse, but damn excellently played!

With only 5 tracks, 4 of which are original compositions plus a cover, Transatlantic is there to prove that progressive rock is by no means dead! It hasn't been stuck in the '70s... it has continued to exist and now more than thirty years later is still capable of giving us masterpieces! For example, what should be said about the 30-minute suite that opens the album? One must simply remain silent and listen to it in its entirety: those four instrumental minutes, where guitar, drums, and various keyboard instruments stand out, already invite putting a gag over your mouth and admonishing oneself to listen to the album in silence without missing the slightest note, even the one hidden in the most remote corners of the score!

And when Neal Morse's voice appears, well caressed by the Hammond organ, we let ourselves be captivated by its beauty! That instrumental piano part that comes in around ten minutes is splendid, to say the least... There we truly understand that prog does not stop giving us unique and rare beauty spurs! Then when the rhythm slows with that bass riff and we hear those symphonic parts past the halfway point of the track... we really have confirmation of everything we think! And the finale... my goodness, what prowess! A long guitar solo accompanied by full, atmospheric keyboards and those final effects of a starry night with a full moon! Wow!

A more moderate listen is offered by the splendid ballad "We All Need Some Light", a track that truly brings tears to the eyes and an upward lighter (being careful not to set the chandelier on fire!) for all its 5 minutes and 44 seconds; essentially led by acoustic guitar and piano (without neglecting the atmospheric side) someone might judge it a bit clichéd and a step toward the commercial: indeed we're not far, vocally and musically, from the melancholic ballads of the Backstreet Boys (perhaps because of Neal Morse's overly sweet and clean voice) but the guys execute everything masterfully and with a touch of class; notable is the way the piano and acoustic guitar touches flow along the same path with great elegance!

And after the romantic moment spent embraced with your girl, we have an energetic "Mystery Train" where the distorted and dark sounds, the Hammond touches, and the perfect bass lines truly create the idea of a train running through a spectral tunnel whose exit we'll never know! And then... another masterful suite: "My New World" 16 very dynamic minutes opened by a beautiful cello; for four minutes the piano creates distinctly jazz melodies but that organ part introduces us to the instrumental section; here guitar and synthesizer, sometimes separate, sometimes in unison give us complex solos well surrounded by Hammond touches in the background; beautiful slow, delicate, and melancholic central part, then refined instrumental work with Hammond organ, well-handled guitar scales up to the finale, where the chorus is revisited. For 16 minutes we can dream and be moved as if consuming a jar of jam, as if watching the stars on a festive summer night!

The album closes (unfortunately, I must say, I don't really appreciate the inclusion of covers in an album of originals) with a cover: "In Held 'Twas In I" was indeed a song by Procol Harum from 1968 included in the album "Shine On Brightly". Transatlantic reinterpret it with their usual personality, giving it a more modern aspect and giving Portnoy the chance to show off while giving the track more decisive drumming compared to the original version.

Truly a great album, but I'm not saying that because I'm a fan; I'm saying it because we need to be objective and, speaking objectively, I have to say that this album is a masterpiece... Certainly, it has to compete with the equally excellent subsequent "Bridge Across Forever" from the following year, but I don't think this album lacks anything!

Progressive rock is not dead; it has just been somewhat neglected over the years; I don't want to hear about neo-progressive, it's a word I don't like; progressive rock is still clearly alive, it still breathes very fresh air and will continue to give us strong emotions and fresh breaths of oxygen for an eternity!

...writing while waiting to hear the new album!