Transatlantic Official Thread

[HOF]

So I’ve had about three full listens and a few other partial listens to The Whirlwind, and I think it’s starting to click with me. Definitely has more of the magic of the first two than Kaleidoscope does at least. My one issue with it is that it doesn’t quite feel cohesive as a single piece of music, but the individual tracks also don’t seem to form discreet songs either. It’s making it hard to really commit the album to memory. But when I listen through I do like what I hear.

[The Letter M]

So I’ve had about three full listens and a few other partial listens to The Whirlwind, and I think it’s starting to click with me. Definitely has more of the magic of the first two than Kaleidoscope does at least. My one issue with it is that it doesn’t quite feel cohesive as a single piece of music, but the individual tracks also don’t seem to form discreet songs either. It’s making it hard to really commit the album to memory. But when I listen through I do like what I hear.

For me, the more I listened and had the album's various themes engrained into my mind, I could pick them up across the album and feel the cohesion start to develop for me. There are some individual tracks that could be taken out as single songs (Rose Colored Glasses being one good example, and maybe the only good one, but given its origin, that makes sense).

It will take you some time, though, as it is a hefty piece over all, but definitely rewarding once it begins to fully click with you. It's certainly a different way to put together ran album than their previous two, despite having the idea of shared/spread-out themes that BAF also had, I think TW took that idea and ran with it at full speed.

-Marc.

[HOF]

So now I’m listening to Black as the Sky, and I could swear it’s exactly the same as a passage on The Whirlwind.

[The Letter M]

So now I’m listening to Black as the Sky, and I could swear it’s exactly the same as a passage on The Whirlwind.

Which passage, "On The Prowl"? I only guess that because of the 6/8 groove that song has could feel somewhat similar to the one in "Black As The Sky", though the latter definitely has a faster tempo.

-Marc.

[Elite]

If you criticize anything, you are saying that the people who think otherwise, their feelings about a piece are invalid, that they are wrong. That they don't deserve to exist.

WTF

If you criticize anything, you are saying that the people who think otherwise, their feelings about a piece are invalid, that they are wrong. That they don't deserve to exist.

This is satire, right?

[gzarruk]

So now I’m listening to Black as the Sky, and I could swear it’s exactly the same as a passage on The Whirlwind.

Which passage, "On The Prowl"? I only guess that because of the 6/8 groove that song has could feel somewhat similar to the one in "Black As The Sky", though the latter definitely has a faster tempo.

-Marc.

I don't see any similarities with TW, but I think they copied part of the BATS instrumental section on The Ways of a Fool.

[HOF]

So now I’m listening to Black as the Sky, and I could swear it’s exactly the same as a passage on The Whirlwind.

Which passage, "On The Prowl"? I only guess that because of the 6/8 groove that song has could feel somewhat similar to the one in "Black As The Sky", though the latter definitely has a faster tempo.

-Marc.

I went back to try to find a specific section, and there’s not one that’s exactly the same. More the way the bass drives the song that made it sound like a few of the more intense sections of TW.

[The Letter M]

So now I’m listening to Black as the Sky, and I could swear it’s exactly the same as a passage on The Whirlwind.

Which passage, "On The Prowl"? I only guess that because of the 6/8 groove that song has could feel somewhat similar to the one in "Black As The Sky", though the latter definitely has a faster tempo.

-Marc.

I don't see any similarities with TW, but I think they copied part of the BATS instrumental section on The Ways of a Fool.

I mean, maybe? Again, if only because BATS has that driving triplet/6/8 feel, and parts of TWOAF have that as well, but the instrumental section gives me different vibes. TWOAF's bridge has a different overall feel to me, it's not as punctuated and abrupt as some of those synth-run solos in BATS, outside of one small section where they turn the triplets into four-note phrases, but that was just one or two measures (unlike in BATS, where they do it every few phrases in the bridge).

So now I’m listening to Black as the Sky, and I could swear it’s exactly the same as a passage on The Whirlwind.

Which passage, "On The Prowl"? I only guess that because of the 6/8 groove that song has could feel somewhat similar to the one in "Black As The Sky", though the latter definitely has a faster tempo.

-Marc.

I went back to try to find a specific section, and there’s not one that’s exactly the same. More the way the bass drives the song that made it sound like a few of the more intense sections of TW.

Gotcha, I just thought it would've reminded you got OTP since they both had that driving 6/8 bass groove, although the phrasing of the bass melody is quite different between the two of them (with OTP being more accented on the downbeat, while BATS is a more rhythmically driving, constant bass line, especially in the bridge, where having the faster tempo definitely pushes it along more than the bass groove in OTP.

-Marc.

[HOF]

Now playing SMPTe.

It was Labor Day 2001 when I picked this one up for the first time. Almost twenty years ago. Still view it as sort of a life changing thing.

[Lowdz]

On the Marillion Q&A this weekend, Pete mentioned the album is being mixed now. Not sure if this is new info or not.

[The Letter M]

On the Marillion Q&A this weekend, Pete mentioned the album is being mixed now. Not sure if this is new info or not.

Not entirely new, as Neal has mentioned that Rich was mixing it recently, but it's good to get confirmation from other band members. With it mixing at this point, I suspect a January 2021 release, but hopefully not too close to the release of SW's next album. I'd like to have their releases spaced apart so I can give each a fair amount of listening time!

If they manage to squeeze it out for release before the end of the year, I'd be VERY surprised, but InsideOut may want to release it at least a couple months after the next TFK album, which comes out at the end of October.

-Marc.

[HOF]

Not sure if this interview was posted in the NM thread, but Neal mentions hoping to get mixes back soon and then pretty much confirms their shooting for an early 2021 release.

https://progarchy.com/2020/09/04/by-grace-alone-a-conversation-with-neal-morse/


Bryan: And then you guys recorded – or started recording for a Transatlantic album this year right?

Neal: We actually started recording it last year.

Bryan: Oh it was last year? Everything’s running together for me.

Neal: Yeah, I don’t blame you. It can for me too. Yeah that’s really coming to a head now. We’re honing in on like the closing things. I haven’t heard any mixes yet, but I think I will very soon. Then the artwork and all that stuff, so we’re getting closer to the finish line on that thing. You’ll have that to look forward to.

Bryan: Is that probably going to be next year sometime?

Neal: I think so. Should be – hopefully in the early part of next year.

[The Letter M]

Rich Mouser just shared a Facebook memory from 2010 on the Whirlwind Tour and said this:

Wow!! What a great tour with fantastic friends.  Lots of good memories. Just so happens that I'm today I'm mixing Transatlantic's 5th album. Almost completed ! More mind and heart bending music coming in the new year from these gifted artists!

So straight from his mouth - mixing of TA5 is nearly done!
I wonder if we will get a release date reveal next month?

-Marc.

[darkshade]

Rich Mouser just shared a Facebook memory from 2010 on the Whirlwind Tour and said this:

Wow!! What a great tour with fantastic friends.  Lots of good memories. Just so happens that I'm today I'm mixing Transatlantic's 5th album. Almost completed ! More mind and heart bending music coming in the new year from these gifted artists!

So straight from his mouth - mixing of TA5 is nearly done!
I wonder if we will get a release date reveal next month?

-Marc.

That would be exciting. I'm definitely anticipating this new album more than I was for Kaleidoscope.

[The Letter M]

From Mike on FB earlier....

https://www.facebook.com/116713035013014/posts/4937893232894946/

“It Ain’t Over ‘Til The Fat Drummer Sings”
This pic was taken this evening while adding some new last minute vocals to the ever-evolving upcoming Transatlantic album!! Yes indeed, over *A YEAR* since I did my drum tracks, we are still tweaking & adding stuff to this mammoth epic...
Rest assured, we are only a few days from finally wrapping and delivering...
There will be news about the release coming VERY soon...and *you will soon know why* this album has taken so much time to complete as we’re doing something extremely unique and unprecedented! It will be worth the wait... #TA5

SOON!

-Marc.

[jingle.boy]

oh hells yeah!

[425]

"Unique and unprecedented"? That's a... significant promise. Hopefully it's not a case of MP bluster!

[jingle.boy]

"Unique and unprecedented"? That's a... significant promise. Hopefully it's not a case of MP bluster!

A filabuster!!!

These are unprecedented times!

[Bolsters]

"Unique and unprecedented"? That's a... significant promise. Hopefully it's not a case of MP bluster!

Yeah, I'll believe that when I hear it. But the fact they're still tweaking things a year later instead of just banging the whole thing out in a couple of weeks and calling it done definitely instills a little more confidence than usual.

[Fritzinger]

Yeah I know MP always writes stuff like this before any release he's involved in, but this still has me excited. I like that they still keep TA a special thing and don't pump out album after album.

[SleeperAwake]

So... double album confirmed?

Seriously though, I haven't been this enthusiastic about an upcoming album in a long while.

I'm genuinely excited.

[Stadler]

"Unique and unprecedented"?   I'm thinking they're going to play it in my backyard.  That would be cool.  I'll get chips and beer.

[The Letter M]

From Pete, less than 15 minutes ago on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/100003550398095/posts/3229745903820391/?substory_index=0

Adding a few vocal touches to TA5 the Transatlantic album that is still on going.
As Mike mentioned yesterday, you find out why soon and it’ll be worth the wait.
@transatlanticofficial
@mikeportnoy
@neal_morse_official
@roinestolt8112
@insideoutmusic

Looks like everyone is tossing in last minute vocals! Haven't seen a post by Roine yet though I'm sure he's doing some too.

-Marc.

[HOF]

Unprecedented because they had 6 tracks originally, but decided to make each one a full CD length. 6 disc set baby!

[Setlist Scotty]

Unprecedented because they had 6 tracks originally, but decided to make each one a full CD length. 6 disc set baby!

Tales from Transatlantic Topographic Oceans? 

[darkshade]

Triple album

(plus bonus disc)

[Revenge319]

You guys gotta think outside the box! Clearly it's gonna be an album consisting of 10-12 songs that are only 3-5 minutes in length.

[Kram]

Hmmm......I wonder what it could be?  It's gotta be more than just a double album if Mike is claiming "unique and unprecedented".  A double album is certainly neither "unique" or "unprecedented".  I'm interested to hear what they have up their sleeves.

[HOF]

It’s a two disc set, but the second disc is the first disc played backwards so you can hear the subliminal messages. The extra “vocal” tracks being recorded are the subliminal messages.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

I took it as him saying it would be "unique and unprecedented" for the band specifically.

[emtee]

I recall similar descriptors used for The Astonishing.

[Setlist Scotty]

I recall similar descriptors used for The Astonishing.

TA is doing their own version of TA?!?!?! 

[MinistroRaven]

I think unique and unprecedented it's referring as the way they did tha album, it took thme a year+ to complete when in the past it was al done in 2-3 weeks or less

[XeRocks81]

correct me if I'm wrong but while yes they usually wrote and recorded basic tracks in a few weeks, it always took months to do all the overdubs and I expect the songs sometimes changed as well as that process went along.

[HOF]

correct me if I'm wrong but while yes they usually wrote and recorded basic tracks in few weeks, it always took months to to do all the overdubs and I expect the songs sometimes changed as well as that process went along.

Yeah, on the making of Bridge Across Forever there’s all this footage of Neal doing vocals and keyboard overdubs after everyone had gone back home. He even calls Roine up at one point to ask him how a certain part was supposed to go.