TRANSATLANTIC
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Albums reviewed:
2001 – Bridge Across Forever (5-)

Here for you, another over-priced neo-prog release. Transatlantic have another album that was released before, this is the only one I have. Apparently, both are about the same quality-wise... I have tried various "neo-prog" acts in the past. I once had a couple of Dream Theater albums ('Falling Into Infinity' and 'Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence', which I have sold due to lack of interest, I might download/review/delete them just for the sake of it), also some Flower Kings, I want to give Porcupine Tree a chance, because those are apparently the most bearable and justified band of the genre. Of course there is Marillion, Marillion was good enough at times... But really, Transatlantic seems to be doing that lukewarm re-ashed kind of progressive rock that makes me shudder. At least they do not shriek and use a boring heavy metal background to their progressive rock, like it's often the case. Oh yes, no shrieking, instead you have, well I think it's Neal Morse (from Spock's Beard), who sort of sings in adult contemporary fashion, they could have hired Michael Bolton for all I care. This is plainly evident on the abysmal piano ballad Bridge Across Forever. I wonder why they didn't do it as a duet with Barbra Streisand: SAPPY. A few reviews talk about how much of The Beatles can be found on this album. Ugh, no way. How is a boring cliché 13 minutes prog-jam like Suite Charlotte Pike supposed to remind me of The Beatles anyway? This one also contains a studio-joking moment (a screw-up) followed by a "WHAZZAAAAA" joke, so that we can all appreciate how badly the "WHAZZA" joke has aged (it's from "Scary Movie" by the way, you should know that). The only moments when the band is sort of tolerable and sometimes half-brilliant are when they do the usual prog thing with mellotrons and Yes inspired passages. If they only had that, maybe I'd give the album a 6 or a 7, who knows. Most of the better parts are found in the first and last tracks, two 25 minutes behemoths, because on neo-prog albums, 25 minutes epic songs must be as common as the ballads. To me, the point of making a long song is to make it special; neo-prog con artists destroy the magic of it by putting 2-3 of those giants on each albums. So that makes this album 70 minutes long, at least 40 minutes too long. I hope for you that you didn't pick up the one with extra songs that will make your boredom last longer. The album is hardly offensive, it's just a clear picture of the clichés of those kind of neo-prog acts populated by 35 years old trying to make 55 years old feel like they are hip and listening to modern music. Beh. I should remind you all that music you haven't heard is STILL new music, no shame in digging up an old album you haven't heard, it doesn't make you a snob. *Attacked by hordes of angry prog fans saying things like "can YOU play that? Come back when you can write a song like that!"*. I love new music; I have a lot of it, just not poseur music. Still, I'm sure those guys in the picture up there are very nice guys, I'm a nice guy too, you know.

Simon Lac, January 14th 2006