TRANSATLANTIC: The Absolute Universe - Forevermore (PROGRESSIVE ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Hardly the time to have finished listening to "Sole Gratia" or "Islands" that here is Neal Morse and Roine Stolt back, with Pete Trewavas and Mike Portnoy, with the fifth album of their supergroup Transatlantic. At this stage, it's not stakhanovism anymore, it's compulsive bulimia! Especially since "The Absolute Universe" comes in two versions, a "single" album subtitled "The Breath of Life" of 60 minutes and a double, "Forevermore", of which each record is about 45 minutes long. And since the international combo doesn't do things by halves, each album contains alternative versions (music and lyrics) of certain titles, or even entire passages from one of the albums and not the other, as well as different performers from one version to the other. Neal Morse, in favour of the idea of a short album, worked on the edition of "The Breath of Life" while Roine Stolt took care of the edition of "Forevermore". In short, enough to make you dizzy or want to buy both versions (generously gathered in a box called "The Ultimate Edition").

This review is about the double album version "Forevermore". If a glance at the booklet reveals that both records include eighteen tracks, the longest of which is barely more than nine minutes long, this perception is relatively subjective. Indeed, the music is conceived by Transatlantic as a long 90-minute piece cut into 18 movements, an impression reinforced by the linking of the titles together, the repetition of different themes that are scattered in various places and by the concept conveyed in the lyrics about the crazy life led in 2020, between political unrest and global pandemic. A process already used by the band on "The Whirlwind" of which "The Absolute Universe" would be the ideal companion according to Mike Portnoy. Nevertheless, some tracks can be listened to in isolation as simple songs that are self-sufficient.

Musically speaking, fans of Transatlantic, Neal Morse and Roine Stolt, and their different projects, will not be disappointed, they will find everything they like in these great artists. The compositions have this immediately addictive and yet very worked out side which is their trademark. The inspiration is as always at the rendezvous, as well as the diversity of the melodies. What can we say about the quality of the interpretation, except that it is, as always, impeccable? The keyboards are gleaming, the guitars flamboyant, the bass phenomenal and the drums twirling and inventive. The vocal harmonies are perfect and the vocals flawless: the four musicians share this role, with a predominance of parts delegated to Stolt and Morse and a small preference for the interpretation of the latter whose sensitivity communicates very pleasant shivers.

Of course, and this is the only weakness of our talented musicians, an impression of déjà entendu is regularly invited during the listening. Some lively and swirling tracks are very close to those of Neal Morse solo or The Flower Kings ('Overture', 'Higher Than the Morning', 'The World We Used to Know', 'Love Made a Way'), some ballads are recognizable among a thousand ('Swing High, Swing Low', 'Love Made a Way (Prelude)', 'Lonesome Rebel'), but so beautiful that we forgive them. But these guys still manage to surprise us with a title worthy of the Beatles or ELO ('Rainbow Sky', 'The Sun Comes Up Today'), an Andalusian melody ('The Darkness in the Light') or a theatrical and disquieting atmosphere ('Owl Howl').

In the end, whether with Transatlantic, Neal Morse or The Flower Kings, it's always the same thing: we start listening with an a priori, unable to help ourselves from thinking that "it will be the same as the previous albums", the first listening comforts us in this idea, then, through successive listenings, the magic operates, the charm acts and we find ourselves bewitched by the incredible mastery of these musicians. "The Absolute Universe" is no exception to this rule... - Official website

TRANSATLANTIC

THE ABSOLUTE UNIVERSE - FOREVERMORE

INSIDEOUT MUSIC

PROGRESSIVE ROCK