Whirlwind by Transatlantic
The Whirlwind by Transatlantic might be one of the best prog albums from 2009. Transatlantic is a super-group consisting of Neal More (Spock’s Beard), Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater), Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings) and Pete Trewavas (Marillion). They’ve been out there for about a decade but haven’t released any albums for quite a while.
The Whirlwind is their reunion album and it’s killer! The whirlwind’s first CD only has one song: a 77-minute master piece called the Whirlwind. The other CD has 4 new songs and 4 cover songs. The second CD is not just a bonus, this CD could be a stand-alone album if necessary.
transatlantic the whirlwind
But we’ll focus on the first CD here: The Whirlwind song. This is a great 77-minute experience. When you have time: sit back, put it on and enjoy. Every part of it is beautiful, there’s almost no flaw in any of the songs. And the great catchy melodies are nicely interluded by some awesome guitar and keyboard work. The build-up to the final song is also quite the experience: is it really happening is a song that starts very slowly but builds up to some amazing drum-work and some amazing keyboard and guitar playing!
If you like Transatlantic: this is a must have. If you don’t know them but like 70′s-progressive rock (yes, genesis, pink floyd, …) then you should definitely check this album out!