LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT 2

More progressive supergroup reviews? You know it! I have been wanting to listen to this group for a bit of a while now and to be honest I do not feel like giving an in-depth history of this group because at the end of the day the factoids can be researched yourself. Just note it is a group made up of Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater, Tony Levin of King Crimson (funny how a lot of supergroups have members of King Crimson in them), Jordan Rudess of Dixie Dregs, and John Petrucci also of Dream Theater. Together they formed Liquid Tension Experiment, which from the name was a big experiment, with each of their albums taking a week to record, giving them a fast-paced attitude. This is their second effort, but despite this being my first effort with this band, I can safely say they do not disappoint.

Like how the album begins, we'll jump straight in, starting with Acid Rain. While most progressive metal outfits would have the first song be some build-up to themes that would be later reintroduced in the album's run, due to Liquid Tension Experiment's instrumental force in their music it'd be quite useless to make some form of a build-up. They push you right into the pit instead of letting you sit ideally in the balcony seats. As an appreciation for good instrumental music, having the album start like this allows it to immediately grow into its forefront as something to appreciate. You can tell these are highly trained and well-versed musicians, embracing the more technical side of progressive rock that was embraced by bands like Yes long ago. A really good start for this album.

Acid Rain was merely a warm-up for the swarm of impressive songs on here, starting with Biaxident. This is where they embrace that more retro progressive rock sound that was popular in the 90s with Spock's Beard and The Flower Kings, but obviously in a progressive metal stance. You can feel some of that Dream Theater charm in this one, with a guitar and piano taking lead, creating charming melodies and riffs that are as impressive as they are head-boppingly great. It is very fun, very retro, but still very metal.

I haven't mentioned Tony Levin's bass work yet, but his work on this album, specifically 914, is the cream of the crop, as you'd expect from the beautiful bald bass god himself. He has this rhythmic beauty in his playing that makes his work effort much more rewarding. You can feel his bassy goodness wash all over the album, especially in this song where it is basically in the front lines, having this crisp and golden sound that is so good that I can almost bite into it and absorb all of its flavors. Tony's a master at bass and this song is a front-seat example of why.

If you want some of that Dream Theater Metal then you've come to the right place. Another Dimension has you covered with that Dream Theater goodness vibes, obviously without the singing of Kevin LaBrie. As someone who loves Dream Theater for their instrumentals more than the vocals (not saying Kevin is a bad singer), but I have always preferred the instrumentation of Dream Theater more than the actual vocal arrangements, so this having the vibes and sounds of Dream Theater without it being Dream Theater makes this quite the bonus. It is a great track that doesn't overstay its welcome, being just shy of 10 minutes. It is a fun, and highly enjoyable track.

So while the first 4 were all good, the album has a problem, and that is it is very top-heavy. The second batch of songs, while still enjoyable, definitely has some give-or-take aspects within them, with the first example being the 16-minute epic of When The Water Breaks. I think for what it is, it is a perfectly fine epic. It gets the job done, but I don't get the feeling of movement in it. Things do change and some parts I think are very enjoyable, especially the part at 10:48 through 11:55 where we get more amazing bass work from Tony and a sort of Emerson Lake and Palmer-type keyboard work. It is really fun and plays into the band's joyous filled nature. However, where I think it falls flat is that I never feel like it goes anywhere; stuck inside a box that rarely budges. For me, what makes a great progressive rock slash metal slash' any song that is 15 minutes and up is the sense of movement. Say for example, and I know this is an odd example, Music For 18 Musicians by Steve Reich. Despite that song being 56 minutes and extremely minimalistic, you can still feel a sense of movement and a constantly shifting form, leaving the listener guessing what's next despite it still being one song. For me, When The Water Breaks doesn't have this sense of movement, which I think is needed in every progressive rock epic no matter what. Where I can say drone metal and ambient music can get away with it since, you know, they are drone and ambient, this is a progressive metal song so I cannot help but feel a tad disappointed not experiencing that drive through the music.

This also stays true to the more experimental piece of Chewbacca. Now where I felt When The Water Breaks was a bit too unmoving, this is the same deal except it feels strangely unmoving in a different light. Despite it being 13 minutes, it feels way longer, and dare I say, a bit too drawn out. As someone who loves longer stretches of music, I have gained an innate sense of insight into whether or not a song is too long or too short. For me, this song is a perfect example of how it is to be way too long. I think the song ended perfectly at 5:35, and from then it would be a great song filled with bassy hooks, great rhythm, and great guitar works, but they felt the need to continue and I think it shot themselves in the foot trying to continue. I think the more experimental section of the song is fine, nothing special, but I think sometimes I think trying to be big when the second half is very less than formed makes me wish they'd just make this short and sweet.

Funnily this second half is filled with longer songs, with Liquid Dreams being 10 minutes in length. Now, this is an interesting diversion from the progressive metal sound. We get more of a minimalistic sound that feels like a combination of jazz fusion, beach music, progressive pop, and minimalism, which ends up being a pretty weird, but strangely enjoyable experience. This is 100% the star of the second half of the album, being experimental enough for it to be a nice change of pace, but not to the point where it feels unneeded. They struck a balance here, and I think they put their all into making this simple, yet highly impressive melody play out. This is what I love about progressive metal, it is never just one thing for every song. Sometimes it is good to lay down your heavy guitars and just chill out for a hot second. It is a nice showcase of what can work when you experiment with new styles.

The album ends off with the shortest track on here, Hourglass. It is an acoustic melody that while short, is sweet. I think while I may not appreciate the first half as much as the second, I cannot deny that they haven't had fun making this. Their energy was on point no matter what they tried, which I think goes to show why progressive metal is so fun. It can bring the most unexpected people together under the umbrella of music, and while this may not be my favorite album, I can see why it can be someone. I might not fully understand it, but I can get it.

2nd serving can always be a mixed grab bag, especially when it is the 1st serving for some, but I think this album held up well, despite its few shortcomings. I think if you love Dream Theater but want an instrumental take on their music, or just want some groovy progressive metal then this album can be for you. Check it out if you have the time because it is an interesting experience.