KALEIDOSCOPE

Transatlantic used to be my very favorite band around the releases of SMPTe and Bridge Across Forever. I was still quite new to prog, and they were exciting, majestic and just very NEW to me. So my expectations were naturally out of proportions when they reunited and released "The Whirlwind" in 2009. I was left extremely disappointed, because nothing felt fresh or interesting, and it was just confusing to me. The reason is probably not that the band members had "lost it", but rather that I've come into contact with the whole prog world since their first albums, so I have a different perspective on what's "fresh". Today, I doubt Transatlantic would have made the same impact on me if I heard them for the first time, even their old material.

So, moving on to this fourth studio album, Kaleidoscope, I no longer had huge expectations. I just hoped to hear some fresh and new music. But I'm struggling. The two epics (25 and 31 minutes respectively) sound like all the other epics that Neal Morse have composed up until this point (sprinkled with some Roine Stolt stuff, which is a bit quirkier and more interesting to me, but is getting old too). I don't blame them, because it's near impossible to keep making fresh material 20 or 30 years into a career, especially when also wanting to give the fans what they expect. But personally, I'm so very tired of it.

The two ballads tracks are also "just Neal Morse", and if you're still hungry for those, you might enjoy them! I'm sad to realize that I no longer do. There has been too many of them now.

"Black as the Sky" is the exception for me on this album! Sure, I get VERY strong Snow vibes (the Spock's Beard album), but the style isn't overdone yet, and I like the upbeat groove. It feels fresh, and it's fun. The higlight track for me.

All in all, it's certainly not bad music, and I can see why many love it. It's just not "new enough" for me.