KALEIDOSCOPE

Into the Blue is the most accessible of the two epics, perhaps because it contains some gentle melodic moments such as a very memorable vocal section from Transatlantic part-timer Daniel Gildenlow and some typically catchy Morseian choruses running throughout. There are some wonderful guitar and synth solos throughout, as well as a really cool bass section. As one might expect from a Transatlantic epic it ends in a grandiose fashion, reprising choruses and melodies from other parts of the song. If that typical Neal Morse structure historically bothers you then I suspect it will bother you here too.

Shine most have probably heard already. Transatlantic seem to always try for a ballad or two and this one is pleasant enough. It's not quite We All Need Some Light, Bridge Across Forever, Wind At My Back or June, in my opinion, but it's pleasant enough. The same goes for Beyond the Sun later on. I wouldn't deliberately seek them to out to listen to but they don't decrease the quality of the album.

Black as the Sky in an extremely atypical Transatlantic. Only 6 minutes?! I guess it's somewhat reminiscent of Mystery Train from the début album, except vastly superior. It has a really catchy chorus, seemingly sung by the entire band and features vocal passages from each. It's quite rocking and has some very cool technical instruments breaks.

The eponymous track took some getting used to. It disappointed me on my first listen and took several listens to appreciate it. After listening to it ten times now I can't help but hum or sing along. The melody that at first seemed so lacking came to the forefront in a big way. Kaleidoscope is an extremely busy track with several different parts, probably with a greater variation than any Transatlantic has had stylistically. There's a particularly memorable vocal section from Pete Trewavas whose voice, although usually limited in range, fits very nicely. As with Into the Blue there are several repeated melodies and choruses throughout culminating nicely in the eventual climax.

I hesitate to say that this is the best Transatlantic album yet as The Whirlwind and Bridge Across Forever were near perfect albums. But it's definitely worthy of a 5/5.

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