Transatlantic

A neo-progressive rock supergroup, Transatlantic was formed in 1999 by Mike Portnoy, then drummer with Dream Theater, and Neal Morse, singer, guitarist and keyboardist with Spock's Beard. At first, they considered bringing in Jim Matheos, guitarist with Fates Warning, but he was unable to make himself available. His position was offered to Roine Stolt, from The Flower Kings. The line-up was completed by bassist Pete Trewavas, from Marillion. The four men immediately set to work recording their first album. Their collaboration was so successful that a double album, SMPT:e, was released in March 2000, and less than a year later, Bridge Across Forever. The tours they played in support of these albums were documented on two albums recorded live on stage: Live in America in 2002 and Live in Europe, in 2003. Both featured the presence of Pain of Salvation guitarist Daniel Gildenlöw, who helped to flesh out the band's sound. In 2002, however, the band lost Neal Morse, who left both Spock's Beard and Transatlantic to pursue solo activities. This led to the break-up of the band, which finally reformed in 2009 and went straight into the recording of a new opus, entitled The Whirlwind. This concept album takes the form of a single 77-minute composition divided into 12 elements. The musicians managed to arrange another recording session in 2013, and the following year released Kaleidoscope, their fourth album, consisting of five tracks. It reached number six in the charts in Germany and the Netherlands. A special version of the album is also released, featuring eight covers by Elton John, Yes and King Crimson. Absent for the next seven years, the neo-progressive rock band made a comeback in 2021 with a fifth album, The Absolute Universe. The album was based on a novel idea: to offer two versions of the album, The Absolute Universe: The Breath of Life, and The Absolute Universe: Forevermore, each containing alternative versions. A third edition, called The Absolute Universe: The Ultimate Edition, combines both versions. In 2023 and 2024, the band released two live albums: The Final Flight: Live at l'Olympia and Live at Morsefest 2022: the Absolute Whirlwind (which reached number 79 in the German charts).