My first impression of Transcend by Scot Stoddard knocked the wind out of me, in a good way. The uber-talented multi-instrumentalist created rock unlike anything I have ever heard before and I loved every minute of it.

“Transcend”, the opening track and the album’s namesake, is sure to get the blood flowing with its awesome groove and killer instrumentation. The next song, “The Reckoning”, serves as a call to action to work together to try to repair the damage we have done with our evil ways before it is too late; it is an all-around great track. “Into My Heart”, is an amazing example of bluesy space-rock complete with expert guitar work, a beautiful organ backing, and a sweet sax solo. “Whiteout” is a chill piece of music that continues to showcase Scot’s next level talent and it is damn cool. “The Ode to Rock ‘n’ Roll” was partially written by Laurie, Scot’s wife who recently passed, from her point of view, so this song is special for many reasons. “Adrift” is a spacey beauty reminiscent of some of the top notch progressive metal and rock bands and as a sucker for that style of music, I absolutely love this track and it is my favorite track on Transcend.

“Expand” starts us on a progressive rock journey through time and space that continues into the next two tracks, “Expand 2 – Unity” and “Expand 3 – Final”; consequently, I refer to them as the “Expand Suite”. The entire way through the suite is suspenseful and exciting. You will be blown away by this if you dig awesome music. There is no denying these songs. Scot out did himself with these three.

“Caliente!”, the first track following the “Expand” three, has a Latin flavor akin to Carlos Santana’s tunes; however, I think Scot has more command over his guitar which leads this instrumental beast to be en fuego! “Notorious” rocks hard and possesses a gnarly guitar solo worthy of dropping everything and shredding along on the old air guitar. What excellent progressive/symphonic rock album is complete with some sort of classical style track? The answer here is none, so Scot gave us “Concerto In B Minor”. “Concerto In B Minor” is downright awesome and is bound to bring a smile to your face. “Unwind” is the perfect title for the closing track and the track itself is also perfect; it ties the whole album together nicely and leaves a pleasant aftertaste.

Overall, Transcend by Scot Stoddard is a masterpiece worthy of praise and awards of the highest regard and will be among the top choice for my favorite albums for the rest of my life. I highly recommend this album. You can purchase it on Scot’s website and a bunch of other places. Be sure to like Scot on Facebook and buy his music, it is worth every penny and so much more!