Sticking to Transatlantic drummer Mike Portnoy's dictum that "more of anything is never enough", progmeisters Transatlantic leave us – if indeed they really are leaving us – with a fourth, live, version of their Absolute Universe album, having already released three versions of the 2019 record because they couldn't agree on an edit.
You can rest assured that nobody has dared tamper with the live version - although it does beg the question of how Portnoy, Neal Morse and the other band members decided which songs to play at the show, which was recorded at Paris Olympia at the end of their tour last year.
Transatlantic fans will be delighted, of course, particularly those who bought The Absolute Universe Demos to add to their collection, but less committed fans might find the unwavering consistency of the tracks a little wearisome at times.
- “Most is more than familiar… but there’s a sense of excitement in having this chemistry back in place”: Dream Theater’s Parasomnia largely lives up to the hype
- “A return to full-fat prog from the man who gave the genre a good name in recent years”: Prog fans rejoice! Steven Wilson has come home with cosmic modern classic The Overview
There's also room for a few career highlights, although how these were chosen is anyone's guess.
