Featured CD - Liquid Tension Experiment : Liquid Tension Experiment

[Duncan Glenday]

Per Amazon:

Over-wrought, self-indulgent, bombastic--hurl every clichéd prog-rock epithet you can think of--this group will suck 'em in and spit 'em right back in a deafening flurry of notes plucked, struck, hammered, and slapped. Without question, these guys ( Dream Theater's drummer and guitarist Mike Portnoy and John Petrucci respectively, keyboardist Jordan Rudess, and bassist Tony Levin) are masters. And they make no apologies for having recorded an album of intensely virtuosic instrumental hard rock. Armed with chops, taste, and panache, LTE groove seamlessly from the lightning-fingered metalfest "Paradigm Shift" to the comical drum & bass duet "Chris and Kevin's Excellent Adventure"; from the full-throttle jamming on "Universal Mind" to the house-crushing mayhem of "Three Minute Warning." Throughout, the staggering speed and technique of both Portnoy and Petrucci consistently grab center stage. It's a riveting work from start to finish and a scorching testament to the power of musical inspiration and collaboration. --Michael Mikesell

http://www.amazon.com/Liquid-Tension.../dp/B0000067YK

[SteveSly]

Here is a review I wrote back in 2007:

"LTE is what happens when you put 3 members of progressive metal masters Dream Theater with bassist extraordinaire Tony Levin. The album is basically an hours worth of instrumental fireworks that is a prog metal heads wet dream. The musicianship is exactly what you would expect from these guys. Lightning fast guitar, bass, keys and drums that pound the listener into submission. The band also showcase a more mellow side on the 7th track "State Of Grace", but for the most part this is all out progressive metal. The final track on the disc is a half hour long improvisation called "Three Minute Warning". The fact that these guys can put together such a cohesive piece of work in what is for all practical purposes a jam session is a testament to the incredible talent these guys posses. Fans of Dream Theater should love this and fans of heavy progressive rock in general should enjoy it as well."

[notallwhowander]

I got the impression that Tony came late to the sessions, and that the shorter, more eclectic tunes bear more of his stamp than the longer, more anthemic ones. Anyway, even when I was most interested in this project, some of those long pieces had a hard time keeping my interest. Still, there is fun to be had. I got much more enjoyment out of the follow-up actually, which seemed to have more crunch overall.

[NogbadTheBad]

Great album, loads of fun.

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

Sort of like Dream Theater without the annoying vocals, actually.

[JKL2000]

I need to get rid of that last one, minus Petrucci or whatever it was. It sucked. Then I need to give the first two a listen again.

[Progatron]

Good stuff, although I was never too wild about the huge improv piece (I need to revisit it some day) so I tend to prefer the second album which I thought was much better. I've often wondered what it would have sounded like to have a more jazz-based guitarist like Di Meola in there in place of the sometimes overbearing Petrucci. Not that I don't like the LTE music - I do, but I rarely find myself pulling it off the shelf as I get older and perhaps less fond of the metallish side of things than I once was (as mentioned, the second album has received more spins around here).

I seem to recall a rather lavish live boxed set from their 'reunion' tour five or six years ago that I think sold out quickly. Never got that one but I'd like to watch the DVD sometime to see them feed off each other onstage. Levin is such a monster who seems readily able to morph into any style.

[Just Eric]

Sort of like Dream Theater without the annoying vocals, actually.

Sho Nuff!

[Garden Dreamer]

Some good melodic pieces and some mind-numbing wankery.

[Smörgåsbord]

I never like(d) DT but LTE definitely has many enjoyable moments.

[Plasmatopia]

I've only listened to the first two albums a couple of times each. Not bad, but I guess I'm not in the mood for that stuff very often!

Live at NEARFest they were a lot of fun.

[ThomasKDye]

When I was writing, I'd need some hard-edged instrumental music to accompany it. Vocals only tended to distract me from focusing. And all I had for that was Joe Satriani until I discovered LTE. That opened up a lot of doors, including Rudess's solo album, "Rhythm of Time." Thus I spun both these albums a lot, though I'm not fond of the improvised bit at the end of LTE1.

[Frankie]

I could never love a record with a cover like that.

[DTA]

Kindred Spirits is such a great song.

[gpeccary]

When they were first released I loved them a lot. However, I can't say they've held long term interest for me. In all honesty, I've moved away from the wankfests like these and DT albums though, I'm honestly not a real fan of half the guys in the band. so my assessment is a bit jaded. And that's not taking away from the chops these guys have. I did go see them at BB Kings when they played there and have to say, they kicked ass, hard! I don't recall it as being as much a wankfest as the albums. It really was a surprisingly impressive show!

[trurl]

Sort of like Dream Theater without the annoying vocals, actually.

And an audible bass player.

[profusion]

Both LTE albums hold up very well, in my opinion. The first one is slightly more inspired, and I love that long jam at the end.

It's worth noting that both LTE albums were recorded before Jordan Rudess joined DT. His joining I think was one reason they put LTE on ice, since there less reason to have it as a side project after that.

[warrplayer]

Not a fan of the second album, but the first one scratches a rare itch I get every year or so like nothing else.
I often get in arguments with music buddies about the superiority of this album versus Bozzio, Levin, Stevens. BLS leaves me strangely unaffected in spite of its greater musicality and cohesiveness.

[ProgPariah77]

Both albums are outstanding works of instrumental (and occasionally experimental) prog.

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

Sort of like Dream Theater without the annoying vocals, actually.

QFT!

this thing is one excellent slab of Prog Metal... LOVE IT

[gpeccary]

I often get in arguments with music buddies about the superiority of this album versus Bozzio, Levin, Stevens. BLS leaves me strangely unaffected in spite of its greater musicality and cohesiveness.

Interesting. In hopes this isnt a side track from the original thread, I would go to the side that BLS is a superior effort. Three days of largely improvised madness from start to finish for the first album they did. I'm also a major fan of both Bozzio and Stevens, so im a bit biased.

[Dan Marsh]

I really enjoyed them at NEARfest.

[Yanks2014]

Awesome album, but I will disagree with most that think this just sounds like instrumental DT. And Tony Levin did not arrive late, or he would have missed this entirely. The album was written and recorded in one week. Crazy they could come up with something so good this quickly. The 2nd album took a little longer, mostly due to JP leaving briefly for the birth of a child.

As to the sound, I really don't hear much in the form of crunchy metal, in fact very few metal riffs at all. But they play really fast -surprising that Tony could keep up since he hadn't played music like that before. Shows his versatility. I hear fusion elements in the sound, though I couldn't call any of this jazz. Not sure how to describe it really. Jordan added quite a bt of symphonic prog elements. I think this was an album born out of frustration. It was recorded the same month that "Falling Into Infinity" came out. That was a record where DT's label forced them to write more radio friendly material. And the label rejected a lot of songs, so the sessions went on well over a year. This nearly drove Portnoy to quit, something that wouldn't happen for another 13 years thankfully. I also think Petrucci and Portnoy wanted someone to challenge them in terms of playing, and so they finally got to work with Rudess. Jordan almost was Kevin Moore's replacement in 94, but chose a Dixie Dregs tour instead. And Levin was a legend already, so they were thrilled to play with him. You can just tell they loved every moment of this, getting to just let it fly and record whatever they wanted, no label constraints. So we get a really wild ride. My favorite track is actually the most composed one, "Freedom of Speech". Great melody, and super strong and rocking finish. As to the improv track, not all of it works, but I think it's a lot of fun to listen to. Some parts they really gell and play as a unit. I like the liner note comments about this being such a self indulgent track. Hey, they were honest.

Didn't see them live when they briefly toured for this in 98, but thankfully saw them at Nearfest many years later, quite a thrill. Plus they did a cool version of Rhapsody in Blue, which was Portnoy's idea. I so wish there could be a third album, but I think at this point a reunion of JP, Rudess and Portnoy isn't likely. At least we got an album of Levin and Rudess, with Marco Minemann, which is pretty good too.

[Kyo]

Really enjoyed this one when it came out. Not too crazy about the jams, but the (however quickly) written pieces are really cool. I liked their second album even better. The composed pieces made for a fantastic compilation CD.

[grego]

I remember their second album was much better - although I completely forgot both)