Transatlantic

Transatlantic was a multinational progressive rock supergroup consisting of Neal Morse (ex–Spock's Beard), Roine Stolt (Kaipa, the Flower Kings), Pete Trewavas (Marillion, Edison’s Children), and Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater). Formed in 1999 as a side project to their full-time bands, they initially disbanded in 2002, reunited in 2009, and disbanded again in 2022. Daniel Gildenlöw of Pain of Salvation was not an official member but frequently performed with the band during live shows, with Ted Leonard standing in for him on tours in 2014 and 2022.

Originally planning to include Fates Warning guitarist Jim Matheos, Morse and Portnoy recruited Stolt when Matheos was unavailable, completing the lineup with Trewavas. Before settling on the name Transatlantic, the group briefly considered the name Second Nature. Their debut album "SMPT\:e" (2000), named both for the members’ initials and a studio timecode format, received strong critical praise and included the 31-minute track "All of the Above". A U.S. tour produced the double live album "Transatlantic Live in America" and a video of the same name, featuring covers such as the Beatles’ "Strawberry Fields Forever" and a Genesis medley of "Watcher of the Skies" and "Firth of Fifth". Their second studio album, "Bridge Across Forever" (2001), contained four tracks, including the extended pieces "Duel With the Devil", "Suite Charlotte Pike", and "Stranger in Your Soul", with a limited edition featuring a cover of Pink Floyd’s "Shine on You Crazy Diamond".

After Morse left Spock’s Beard in 2002 to pursue a Christian music career, he also ended his involvement with Transatlantic, leading Portnoy to declare the band finished. A live DVD of their final tour was released in 2003, and a partial reunion occurred in 2008 when Stolt and Portnoy joined Morse for a live performance in Pittsburgh.

The band reunited officially in 2009 to record their third studio album, "The Whirlwind", a single 77-minute composition released later that year. A special edition included additional original tracks and covers, and the album reached number 21 on the U.S. Billboard Heatseekers chart. The subsequent Whirld Tour in 2010 featured Gildenlöw as a touring member.

In 2013 the band reconvened to write and record "Kaleidoscope", released in January 2014. The album included two long-form pieces and three shorter songs, with a bonus disc of covers. It won Album of the Year at the Progressive Music Awards in September 2014 and was supported by a world tour, including performances on Mike Portnoy’s Progressive Nation at Sea cruise.

Their fifth and final album, "The Absolute Universe", was released on 5 February 2021 in multiple editions. In 2022 the band performed both "The Absolute Universe" and "The Whirlwind" in full at Morsefest in Tennessee and on the Cruise to the Edge before announcing their second and final disbandment later that year.