SMPT:E

Considering the all star team, I was a bit disappointed. This album sounded too much like Spock's Beard V. Certainly Neal Morse is the main character here and if you like his music, chances are you're going to enjoy this album a lot. Since I'm not a real fan of SB, Transatlantic's music sounds to me as other Spock's Beard releases: complex, interesting, very well done and does have his own style. (Morse's style, that is). There are very few things here that reminds me of The Flower Kings, Marillion or (much less) Dream Theatre.

Although I must also say that these musicians are absolute superb ones (as you all know very well), this is the classic case where you know the album is good, but you do not hear it a lot. Even after reading all these glowing reviews and hearing the record several times, my opinion haven't changed much: it does not move me. Nothing's wrong with the band. Maybe the songwriting is not my taste. I wish the other members had added more of their strong talents to the final mix. Even if there are several writing credits for them. They became little more than the backing musicians.

A good prog album, no question about it. But it is definitely for Neil Morse's fans.