KALEIDOSCOPE

If you like Spock's Beard and The Flower Kings you probably will like also Transatlantic. I think this music is a littl ebit more intelligent than Spock's Beard and a little bit more catchy than The Flower Kings. I appreciate everything I have heard from these bands yet, and some things I admire. Transatlantics perhaps isn't among my favourite prog bands but they do their job in an extraordinary talented way. I have listened a lot to The Whirlwind and love it, but I actually think this record is even better. Certainly "Kaleidoscope" is a fantastic record with so much music! Eventually my four stars will grow later on to five.

Transatlatic has been around for a while. The four progressive giants began work together with the record "Stolt Morse Portnoy Trewavas" in 2000 and Kaleidoscope is their fourth studio record. This is my first review of a 2014 record and Neal Morse (vocals, keyboards, guitars), Mike Portnoy(drums, vocals), Roine Stolt(vocals, guitars, mellotron) and Pete Trewavas(bass, vocals) have really created some pieces of great music.

Especially the two long tracks "Into the blue" and "Kaleidoscope" is fantastic and worth (10/10). They contain so much of symphonic glory. They give us beautiful vocals from all of the four, whirling keyboards and leading great guitars and bass sometimes sounding like Beatles. These two bits is just as good as Spcok's Beard's "The Great Nothing" or "The Water" or soemthing long from The Flower Kings. Even if the music lasts long it's allways filled with interesting details, power and sometimes heavy power. Also the shorter tracks have very high standard and it is certainly very high class on this material. What I have heard of the bonus tracks is also very appreciatable and honest. I have big understanding for people who thinks this is a masterpiece, and perhaps time will make me feel the same. Anyway the music is great and the best I have heard from Transatlantic. Really a record I recommend. Four strong stars!