Carnival of Soul

TRANSATLANTIC — the multinational progressive rock supergroup featuring vocalist/keyboardist Neal Morse (SPOCK’S BEARD, THE NEAL MORSE BAND), drummer Mike Portnoy (SONS OF APOLLO, DREAM THEATER), bassist Pete Trewavas (MARILLION) and guitarist Roine Stolt (THE FLOWER KINGS) — is recording its fifth album in Varnhem, Sweden for an expected 2020 release.

On September 24, the group’s social media platforms posted a picture of the four musicians together in a recording studio, with the caption: “Is it really happening?” Four days later, Morse posted a picture of the quartet with the caption: “TRANSATLANTIC rides again!” That same day, Portnoy posted a picture from the studio captioned: “Making great progress here in Sweden on #TA5.”

TRANSATLANTIC formed in 1999 and released its debut album, “SMPT:e”, the following year. Sophomore effort “Bridge Across Forever” followed in 2001, but the group went on an extended hiatus after Morse left SPOCK’S BEARD in 2002 to focus on his newly launched career in the Christian music industry.

The group reunited in 2009 and released third album “The Whirlwind”, which consisted of a single 77-minute track, that same year. A fourth album, “Kaleidoscope”, was recorded in 2013 and released the following year, when it debuted at No. 6 on the German top album charts. The band has also released several live albums and live videos, most recently 2014’s “KaLIVEoscope”.

Portnoy and Morse are frequent musical collaborators, having recorded more than a dozen albums together outside of TRANSATLANTIC, including three FLYING COLORS releases, three by THE NEAL MORSE BAND and seven Morse solo albums.

TRANSATLANTIC is not the only prog supergroup of Portnoy‘s that will release new music in 2020, as SONS OF APOLLO — his progressive metal band with Jeff Scott Soto (SOTO, TALISMAN), Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (GUNS N’ ROSES, ASIA), Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG, DAVID LEE ROTH) and Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION) — is expected to issue its sophomore album early next year.