Transatlantic

Transatlantic was initially conceived by Morse and Portnoy, who approached guitarist Jim Matheos of Fates Warning about joining the project. When Matheos was unable to participate, they recruited Roine Stolt, guitarist and vocalist of the Flower Kings. Pete Trewavas completed the lineup on bass. The group initially considered the name "Second Nature" before settling on Transatlantic.

The band's debut album, "SMPT:e", was released in 2000. Its title combines the initials of the four members' surnames and refers to the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers' timecode standard, commonly used in professional recording environments. The album received positive critical reviews, with AllMusic critic Robert Taylor describing its music as among the strongest examples of progressive rock.

The album included "All of the Above", a suite lasting approximately 31 minutes. Following its release, the band toured the United States, resulting in the live album and video "Transatlantic Live in America". The performances included covers of the Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever" and a medley of Genesis songs "Watcher of the Skies" and "Firth of Fifth". A further live release, "Live in Europe", was issued in 2003 as a double CD and DVD. It included a performance of "Suite Charlotte Pike" incorporating material from the Beatles' album "Abbey Road".

Transatlantic released their second studio album, "Bridge Across Forever", in 2001. The album contained four tracks, three of which were extended compositions: "Duel with the Devil", "Suite Charlotte Pike" and "Stranger in Your Soul". The title track was approximately five minutes long. A limited edition included a cover of Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond". During a European tour in November 2001, Daniel Gildenlöw joined the band, contributing keyboards, guitar, percussion and vocals.

The group entered a period of inactivity in 2002 after Neal Morse left Spock's Beard in October to pursue a career focused on Christian music. His departure also ended his participation in Transatlantic. Mike Portnoy stated that he did not intend to continue the project without Morse. A concert DVD documenting the band's touring activities was released in late 2003.

During the subsequent hiatus, Morse continued to collaborate with Portnoy on recordings and live performances, sometimes including Transatlantic songs in his concerts. On August 23, 2008, Stolt and Portnoy joined Morse at the Three Rivers Prog Fest in Pittsburgh, where they performed "We All Need Some Light" and "Stranger in Your Soul".

On April 16, 2009, Transatlantic announced their reunion and the start of work on a third studio album. "The Whirlwind" was released in October 2009 and consisted primarily of a single composition lasting approximately 77 minutes. A special edition included a second disc containing four additional original songs and four cover versions, while a deluxe edition also included a DVD documenting the album's production. The album reached number 21 on the US Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart.

The band toured North America and Europe in April and May 2010 on the Whirld Tour, with Daniel Gildenlöw returning as a touring musician.

In February 2013, Neal Morse's band, which included Mike Portnoy, toured Europe with the Flower Kings, followed by a performance in Los Angeles in May. Each group performed its own material before members of both bands joined together for an encore featuring Transatlantic songs. Jonas Reingold and Randy George alternated on bass, and the final performance included eleven musicians on stage.

In March 2013, Pete Trewavas announced that he planned to travel to Nashville during the summer to record new material with Transatlantic. Neal Morse subsequently confirmed that the group was preparing another album.

On May 30, 2013, Mike Portnoy announced that the band had completed writing their fourth studio album, "Kaleidoscope". The album contained five original compositions, including two extended pieces, and a bonus disc featuring eight cover versions. It was released in January 2014, followed by a tour of the United States and Europe. The group also performed on the Progressive Nation at Sea cruise, organised by Portnoy, where they played the album in its entirety during one show. A second performance included guest appearances by progressive rock musicians, including Jon Anderson of Yes. On September 11, 2014, "Kaleidoscope" won Album of the Year at the Progressive Music Awards.

On February 7, 2017, Transatlantic performed on the Cruise to the Edge progressive rock cruise. Ted Leonard substituted for Roine Stolt, while Bill Hubauer replaced Daniel Gildenlöw.

Transatlantic recorded their fifth studio album, "The Absolute Universe", which was released on February 5, 2021. On June 5, 2021, Mike Portnoy announced that the band would perform at Morsefest 2022, held outside Nashville, Tennessee, on April 29 and 30, 2022, ahead of an appearance on Cruise to the Edge. The performances were subsequently announced as featuring complete renditions of both "The Absolute Universe" and "The Whirlwind". These performances marked the group's final announced activities before their period of inactivity beginning in 2022.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transatlantic_(band)

Studio albums

SMPTe (2000)

Bridge Across Forever (2001)

The Whirlwind (2009)

Kaleidoscope (2014)

The Absolute Universe Forevermore (2021)

Live albums

Live in America (2001)

Live in Europe (2003)

Whirld Tour 2010 - Live in London 2010 (2010)

More Never Is Enough - Live in Manchester 2010 (2011)

KaLIVEoscope - Live in Tilburg (2014)

The Final Flight: Live At L'Olympia (2023)

Live at Morsefest 2022: The Absolute Whirlwind (Night 1) (2024)