Transatlantic announce new live album ‘The Final Flight: Live at L’Olympia’

TRANSATLANTIC have announced a new live album!

Titled The Final Flight: Live at L’Olympia, the upcoming album from the prog supergroup captures the band performing live in France on the last stop of a tour to promote the band’s fifth album to date, The Absolute Universe, which was released in February last year. The live album is scheduled to be released in February next year, via InsideOut Music.

Filmed by Paul Green (who also shot their ‘Whirld Tour 2010: Live in London release), and mixed by longtime collaborator Rich Mouser, this set will be available as a Special Edition 3CD+Blu-ray Digipak (incl. 5.1 surround sound) & as a Gatefold 180g 4LP release.

“Ever since the start of this band we have played for three hours, so that’s something we’re all used to,” states drummer Mike Portnoy, however, Roine Stolt is ready to admit that this time felt very slightly different. “It was a great tour,” acknowledges the guitarist and multi-musician, “but when you include our spot at Morsefest I felt the challenge of learning, or re-learning, three-and-a-half hours of music before leaving Sweden. Now that I am getting slightly older, I was a little worried about playing for that long – it requires a lot of concentration: ‘Is this one in 7/8 or 9/8? Maybe we’ll play it in 13/8 and in a different key?’ But of course, once we got out there onto the stage, those thoughts went straight out of the window.”

Vocalist/keyboardist Neal Morse reveals that as the tour found its feet TRANSATLANTIC threw an additional curveball. “We started playing songs slightly differently to the way you’ve heard them on The Ultimate Edition. So what you get with this live album is similar, but essentially it’s a fourth version [of the record]. When you play live, from night to night it helps to keep things fresh by jamming a bit and changing things up as you go. There are a few examples of that, for instance, the beginning of the last section that starts with Belong is quite different than the record – partly because we couldn’t remember it! So we made up a new structure.”

“We’re always as well prepared as we can be but in a way TRANSATLANTIC is kind of a show band,” points out bassist Pete Trewavas. “Playing alongside Mike who is a powerhouse on the drums, there is this raw power. If he wants to raise the energy that’s what we do. We’re all taking solos here and there, though we get the songs across we’re all showing off as much as we can.”

Alongside the announcement of the new live album, the band have released a new live music video from the upcoming release; Owl Howl.

Watch the official live music video for Owl Howl here: 

Also, you can view both the track list and artwork for the upcoming live album below:

Track List: 

1. The Absolute Universe Intro
2. Overture
3. Reaching For The Sky
4. Higher Than The Morning
5. The Darkness In The Light
6. Take Now My Soul
7. Bully
8. Rainbow Sky
9. Looking For The Light
10. The World We Used To Know
11. MP Intro
12. The Sun Comes Up Today
13. Love Made A Way (Prelude)
14. Owl Howl
15. Solitude
16. Belong
17. Lonesome Rebel
18. Can You Feel It
19. Looking For The Light (Reprise)
20. The Greatest Story Never Ends
21. Love Made A Way
22. The Whirlwind Suite
23. NM & RS Intro
24. We All Need Some Light
25. The Final Medley

The Final Flight: Live at L’Olympia is set for release on February 17th via InsideOut Music. Pre-orders are available now and can be purchased here.

For more information on TRANSATLANTIC like their official page on Facebook.