Transatlantic are a progressive rock supergroup with members from the US and the UK. In 2009 they released The Whirlwind, a 78-minute record that sounds like a single composition. For many, it is among the finest works of the genre.
Country: International (US, UK)
Genre: Progressive Rock (Clean Vocals)
For fans of: Marillion, The Flower Kings, Neal Morse, Spock’s Beard, Dream Theater
Label: Metal Blade Records, Radiant Records
The record is divided into twelve parts but is essentially a single piece. Even though its length is enormous, the band keeps a steady purpose from start to finish. Every transition feels natural and every recurrence of a theme lands in the right place. What makes the record work is restraint: the band relies on recurring melodies and proper build-up, not on excess.
Who are the musicians? Four virtuosos with decades of experience. Neal Morse (ex-Spock’s Beard) writes the melodies and vocals, Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings) plays the guitars with warmth, Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) keeps the rhythm and did the orchestration, and Pete Trewavas (Marillion) provides depth with the bass. The four collaborate like a single body, with no one trying to stand out.
The themes introduced in the opening keep returning, at different tempos and moods, keeping the album unified. Whether in the calm sections (“Rose Colored Glasses”) or the instrumental passages (“Is It Really Happening?”), the band never loses its way. The closing “Dancing with Eternal Glory / Whirlwind [Reprise]” feels like the natural end of the journey.
Each of them gives his best. Trewavas with his bass, Portnoy with disciplined drums, Stolt with melodic guitars and Morse with the keys (Hammond, synthesizer, piano, Mellotron). Even in the vocals, the four unite their voices, giving the sense of a truly collective work.
Lyrically, The Whirlwind speaks of a storm that symbolizes upheaval, loss, faith and renewal. The lyrics are honest, perhaps a little sentimental, but they fit the music. The recurring musical themes mirror the message: however much the journey is shaken, there is always something familiar to return to.
Every work has its flaws, and this record is long and full of the genre’s clichés. Yet when the melodies are this strong and the build-up this adventurous, the small flaws don’t matter. Transatlantic embrace their clichés, but they play them better than anyone else. For 78 minutes, The Whirlwind is perfect.
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Transatlantic:
– Mike Portnoy (drums, vocals)
– Roine Stolt (guitars, vocals)
– Neal Morse (guitars, keys, vocals)
– Pete Trewavas (bass, vocals)
