SMPT:E

Ok... There are some strange voices for being a Spock's Beard release, wich sound like Roine Stolt, and so are some guitar parts, even with the typical Stolt's wah-wah effect... And the drum's sound is uglier than the Nick de Virgilio's! It's dry, too direct, but very technical... I'd swer it's similar to Mike Portnoy! And what about this Marillion-like ambiental and bass-guided part in the minute 13 of All of the Above? It's so strange... What happened with the Dave Meros's strong basses? This bass sounds softer, although is great...

Let's see the booklet... Oh no, this is not a Spock's Beard album! Is really another group (or supergroup...) called Transatlantic! Then... Why is it souding like another Spock's Beard release? Maybe is because Neal Morse's talent is above the other's one. Or maybe because he was the most focused and interested memeber of the group, and he made most of the compositions. He is obviously the mastermind behind this proyect.

There are also some The Flower King's elements... Specially in My New World (because of Roine's vocals...) and In Held (`Twas) In, with some Roine Stolt's typical guitar passages, specially at the end. Like I said before, in All of the Above there is maybe a section wich sounds like Marillion... And except for the Mike Portnoy's typical and ugly drums sound and some double pedal playing, we have not Dream Theater here. So this album is a bit dissappointing for me, because I hoped it would be more diversed, and it has a big influence of all the original bands of the musician... But SMPT:e is just another Spock's Beard album with some The Flower Kings influences!

The two short tracks could easily be in Day for Night, and All of the Above, could be included in V, although it has not the quality of the long tacks of this album... So if you like the Neal Morse's old band, you'll like Transatlantic. Otherwise, you'll find more of the same thing.

Best Songs: All of the Above (really good Spock's Beard track, worthy of the album V...) and My new World (very nice track, with some The Flower King's feeling, and a lot of Spock's Beard again...)

Conclusion: if you like Spock's Beard, you'll surely like this album, like I do... But if you are not in the Neal Morse's style, then avoid this release. Because despite the great musicians involved in Transatlantic, Morse is the obvious mastermind of the group. This is the reason why I think this album is dissappointing. I waited something different, original, and diverse... And this is just another Spock's Beard disc. Nevertheless, is a very good one.

My rating: ***1/2

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