Transatlantic – The Absolute Universe, Forever More [Extended Version] (InsideOut Music, 2021)
The Absolute Universe, Forever More is the superb new album from Transatlantic. This is the progressive rock supergroup that brings together top tier musicians from both sides of the Atlantic: Neal Morse (Spock’s Beard, The Neal Morse Band) on vocals and keyboards; Mike Portnoy (Sons of Apollo, Dream Theater) on drums and vocals; Pete Trewavas (Marillion) on bass; and Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings, Kaipa) on guitars and vocals.
The album reviewed here is the two CD set called “The Absolute Universe, Forever More [Extended Version].” The album features spectacular progressive rock jams, memorable electric guitar work from the versatile Roine Stolt as well as fantastic symphonic keyboard work (especially Mellotron and synths) from Morse along with the skillful creative bass lines and drumming from Trewavas and Portonoy.
Another asset of the band are the sing-along vocal hooks, strong harmonies, and lead vocals by several of the band members, which provides a satisfying mix in terms of vocal tonality and style.
Although the large majority of the album is solidly in progressive rock territory, the band occasionally strays into Beatles-style pop.
The album comes in several versions: “The Absolute Universe: The Breath of Life (Abridged Version)“; “The Absolute Universe: Forevermore (Extended Version)“; and the mammoth “The Absolute Universe: The Ultimate Edition.”
Although it may seem like the single CD Abridged Version is an edited version of the double album, there are major differences. Mike Portnoy provides details: “We’ve got two versions of this album. There is a two CD presentation, which is 90 minutes long, and a single one – that’s 60 minutes. However, the single CD is NOT merely an edited version of the double CD. They each contain alternate versions and even in some cases, new recordings. We wrote fresh lyrics and have different people singing on the single CD version tracks as compared to those on the double CD. Some of the song titles have also been changed, while others might remain the same, but compositionally what you’ll hear has been altered. You must appreciate that what we have done is unique. We revamped the songs to make the two versions different.”