LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT

With the 2020 COVID lockdowns shutting down touring, many musicians were left at a loose end - and with their other projects on hold as a result, the members of Liquid Tension Experiment finally had a chance to make that third album at long last. Something of a thaw had come between Mike Portnoy and the Dream Theater camp after the initial shock of his departure from the band - he'd done drums on John Petrucci's solo album a little earlier - but even so, it was still something of a surprise to hear that the quartet were still interested in working together, having largely let the project lie fallow for decades.

The album finds them picking up where they left off, continuing to present more focused, composed songs (for those who must have improv, a bonus disc on some editions comes with an hour of jams), and with production values which really help tease out the nuances of the material. Sounding more like the bizarre offspring of prog metal and Mahavishnu Orchestra-style jazz fusion than ever, and with a little humour splashed here and there, this might in fact be their best album yet - with nothing to prove, they can just get out there and see where the music takes them.

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.

All the way back in 1997, Mike Portnoy, John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess, and Tony Levin, joined forces to create Liquid Tension Experiment. They released their debut in 1998, following it with the next just a year later, which led to Petrucci and Portnoy inviting Rudess to join Dream Theater, and the band was no more. I don't think anyone ever expected LTE to get back together in their original line-up, especially after Portnoy left Dream Theater, but he always kept in touch with Petrucci and Rudess, and during the pandemic they took the opportunity to all self-quarantine, have tests, and then met up secretly in the studio. According to Mike Portnoy, things fell into place almost immediately. "There was one moment, I got here to the studio, and I was standing in the room with Jordan and John, and I was like 'wait a second, this is the first time the three of us have been in a room together in like over 10 years. It was surreal and then 10 minutes later we're jammin' and it felt like we hadn't missed a step at all. It felt like it was exactly where we left off."

The eight songs on the album are a mix of four fully composed tracks, two duets, one on-the-fly jam and one cover, "Rhapsody in Blue", which they had performed at LTE shows back in 2008. To be honest, that is probably my least favourite number on here, just because there have been so many wonderful jazz classic takes on this, and while clever is not something I would reach for. As for the rest of the album? It's a blast from beginning to end, with four musicians having fun. None of these guys have anything to prove, they are all known as master musicians who have sold silly amounts of units and have played all around the world on the biggest stages. Petrucci and Rudess combine together on the delicate "Shades of Hope", and incredibly this was recorded in just one take, with guitar and piano combining in a composition of beauty and majesty.

This album is full of passages where the listener sits back and is blown away by the restraint, but it is safe to say that opener "Hypersonic" does not show a great deal of that, as here we have the prog version of Jack Torrance bursting through a bathroom door with an ax ? all that is missing is someone shouting, "Here's Johnny!" as their intent is clear from the outset. None of these guys are as young as they used to be (who is?), and Tony Levin is actually 75 years young, yet he is blasting along with the rest of them, as four musicians combine in a manner which is simply incredible. Ask any Dream Theater fan which is their finest album, and there is a very good chance that they will point to 'Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory', and three of those guys are back here combining with the master of bass/stick to create something that is very special indeed.

They are back with their first album in more than 20 years, and apparently they have signed a two-album deal with Inside Out so let's hope it isn't another 20 years until the next one!

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Never in my life had I prayed more for another LTE album than now. As a Dream Theater lifer, the post-Mike Portnoy era has evolved from a technical progressive style to a more straightforward, singles-generating heavy metal outfit, and as such, a lot of the magic from the old days has been lost. Sure, songs like "Enemy Inside" and "Untethered Angel" sound great on my gaming metal playlist when I'm playing Apex Legends, but they're a far cry from the cerebral approach of "Metropolis" and "Six Degrees" fame. Even on "Train of Thought", generally a very dark album, the band would throw in a dash of spice and magic such as Jordan Rudess' player piano antics in "Endless Sacrifice".

Now of course times change. Is there any need to make 10-15 minute long blockbuster virtuoistic pieces anymore? Probably not. At this rate in the band's storied career, there's nothing for the band to prove, so they're moving towards a catchier, straightforward metal approach, and while there's nothing wrong with that, there's a lack of the humor, the magic, the "Joie de vivre" that made DT music so memorable, and the first two LTE albums emerged because of the commercial-ness of "Falling Into Infinity", long considered one of the weakest albums in the band's long and illustrious career. Think about it, if you're forced into making boring posters for a conglomerate, wouldn't all that pent up creativity lead you to creating some Jackson Pollock-esque pieces out of a sheer need to finally express yourself after all that time?

Well, maybe not Pollock, but I think you get the point. And it's the same reason why this long awaited third album has released at this point.

"Hypersonic" opens like "Paradigm Shift and "Acid Rain" did on the first two albums. It's the opening blockbuster, the "kick down the front door and punch the first person you see in the face" kind of track, a gangbuster of virtuosity one expects from these seasoned and skilled veterans. Then they branch out into diverse pieces similar to previous albums. "Beating the Odds" is a very cheery track. It may not have a hook like "Acid Rain" or "Kindred Spirits" but it's still an overall pleasant track, while "Liquid Evolution" is this album's version of the interlude, a very ethereal and atmospheric track led by Tony Levin's domineering bass and peppered with Rudess' signature flourishes.

"The Passage of Time" is signature DT. There are sections in between that I can picture James LaBrie belting out something very philosophical or emotional in a catchy and pronounced fashion. There are even a couple riff snippets that seem to homage part 2 of "In the Presence of Enemies" off 2007's "Systematic Chaos", arguably the band's darkest album to date (yet still one of my favorites). This song is followed by "Chris & Kevin's Amazing Odyssey", continuing a trend of always having a Levin/Portnoy showcase on every album (including the John Petrucci-less Liquid Trio Experiment).

Then the band shakes things up with a surprisingly wonderful rendition of Gershwin's classic "Rhapsody in Blue". Of course, being classically trained and having heard and played the original, some of Rudess' synth sound choices are a bit cheesy and dated, but it's still such a lively and energetic piece and I think it's a refreshing take on a staple of American music. The band then goes from the ridiculous to the sublime guitar and piano ballad "Shades of Hope", finishing up with an amazing and dark Middle Eastern-tinged epic "Key to the Imagination".

The Deluxe edition comes with 5 extra tracks which are basically jam sessions (who can say no to hearing these guys jam out?). "Blink of an Eye" has classic DT vibes, while "Solid Resolution Theory" and "View from the Mountaintop" feel a bit blusey and Deep Purple-ish, while "Your Beard is Good" and "Ya Mon" feel like instrumental Dream Theater demos cut from previous albums glued together to make a mash up.

All in all, this is exactly what fans of older Dream Theater albums and instrumentals have been waiting for. Portnoy's playing just feels so much more lively and refreshing (no offense to Mike Mangini, it feels like The Beatles with Pete Best), and there's so much going on. It's a very happy record, it's a record that you can listen 10 times in a row and still hear something new on the 10th listen.

If I have a criticism, I agree with some people that there isn't really an "it" song. "Acid Rain" was the "it" song on LTE2, "Paradigm Shift" on LTE1. "Hypersonic" is great, but it lacks a chorus or catchy groove that makes the song constantly replay-able. Most of the album basically a jam session, and while I love that (self proclaimed Phish fan here), I understand how that can turn people off with who don't have the attention span to listen to a straight hour jam session (me included). Nonetheless, this is an art style that simple can't be reproduced with other musicians.

LTE was responsible for bringing Rudess into Dream Theater after the departure of Derek Sherinian. Post-Portnoy DT has a cold and clinical feel with Mangini on the drums. There's something to be said when chemistry between musicians allows them to click. What results is an anomaly, something that simply can't be reproduced no matter how you change, tweak or tinker with the formula, like a good bottle of single malt Scotch whisky. LTE3 is that classic Dream Theater sound in all of its unadulterated and spazmodic glory.

So maybe for LTE4 , maybe get Labrie to sing a few lines as a guest singer? Maybe?

Liquid Tension Experiment was one of those wonderful progressive music supergroups that emerged in the 90's. And indeed, one of the best!

In fact, from this collaboration came one of the luckiest things that ever happened to Dream Theater, which was the addition of Jordan Rudess to its ranks. And listening to this album, it is easy to see why. His keyboards are perfectly complemented by the great John Petrucci guitars, and the powerful drums of Mike Portnoy, which sounds as poorly tuned as usual in his recordings.

Special mention should be made of bassist Tony Levin, who is undoubtedly one of the most talented musicians ever to play the four strings.

In summary, Liquid Tension Experiment is an album of pure progressive rock, varied, instrumentally rich and with an enviable instrumentation. A must-listen for all progressive lovers!

Best Tracks: Paradigm Shift (a powerful and appropriate way to start a record), Freedom of Speech (good progressive composition, with different atmospheres and tonalities) and of course, Three Minute Warning (contains one of the best works of John Petrucci, without doubt)

My Rating: ****

LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT is the mega group of stars who inducted RUDESS to the future keyboard position within DREAM THEATER; LTE created in 1997, from jazz fusion to orchestral heavy metal, rock and improvisation. 22 years old and release due to a devouring pandemic of this opus of 4 woodcutters musicians, sizes who combine the pleasure of playing with technicality. LTE3 to listen to to see if the creative madness is still present, if the improvisation can be so redundant. LTE3 or how to get swallowed up in a trap album!

Fast "Hypersonic" for guitar, bass and drums; PORTNOY as in the good old days of DREAM THEATER; track worked melodically with a baroque break which slips on epic metal, a "Carmina Burana" giving birth to a prog jazzy metal high in colors and in volts; a deluge of notes, twirling synths, the bass almost distant but which sets the tempo, which regulates it, a guitar solo that tears off, hold PETRUCCI uninhibited and better surrounded, a long suite that never ends; welcome with "Beating the Odds" second single unveiled in preview, a rock boogie, not rock demonstrative, symphonic, cataclysmic; It starts with SATRIANI, ELP for the overboxed synth, in short no lyrics but notes per kilo, machine gun type and its string of balls in 12.7mm and this magnificent melodic theme based around the guitar. "Liquid Evolution" continues with loose improv, it starts on a bass à la SERRA, aria à la GABRIEL-LEVIN, monolithic declension and associated spleen with the tortured Crimsonian guitar, then it's just beautiful, the musical evolution in a few notes. "The Passage of Time" now on a heavy piece, their first written in 22 years; then what to say when the fusion of the instrumentalists is done almost perfect; everything is well placed, a piano that calms the atmosphere, a colorful guitar that makes you want to pull on the strings, oh no, it's going too fast; well it starts on a sound ambush where the notes are struck with tracer bullets, the synth returns and rounds the angles for a grandiloquent finale to the enjoyable DREAM THEATER. Some will not like it too bad for them! At the moment the "lack" of voices is not a problem. "Chris & Kevin & Amazing Odyssey" for a moment of pure progressive bliss; double bass by LEVIN supported by the drums of PORTNOY and the triptych at the end of the series 'Chris & kevin' and this nod to their misspelled first names; the intro prog jam, crimsonian, tormented; the song that you put on a loop to reassure you that you will not find a prog track of this ilk, beauty without a name.

"Rhapsody in Blue" for THE cover of GERSHWIN's hymn, rhythmic, sublimating the track with thundering keyboards and guitar, now recorded on CD. Pure, unstructured energy, kitschy beauty with a bluesy digression, it starts with a phonic explosion, jazzy on a common theme, the synth is really greasy. 4 minutes and the spleen-creation variation of the world; it starts again with a drenched blues, good light on the fabulous guitar but a little long, we know where we are going; melodic finale as at the start, in short, pompous on one side, majestic on the other. "Shades of Hope" for the musical break with duet of guitars and piano, the title romantic ballad, spleen, the piano coming to temper the ardor of the notes of John's guitar. "Key to the Imagination" and the enjoyable finale at DREAM THEATER. Softness, aggressiveness, jazzy; intro that looks for a few moments, prog then a tune that puts you down with your beer, your lemonade, John's last bourbon; well done, the guitar, the bass, the keyboards of the piano with the different synths, the drums of course; we know we are going on a cruise ship where there will be no waves; at 6 minutes it digresses on the diabolical synth; these musicians seem to have even more fun here; like Arabist-oriental atmosphere, the guitar pulls its strings. Small digression on the progressive memories that this brings; you are not bored, you have what you imagined from a prog title with the ease of playing it yourselves (in a dream), and you have the freshness, the innovation, the sublime and bombastic side to admit that we can't do better!

For those who have the album in its bonus version, improvisation is not unnecessary, extracts from jams made during the recording of the album: "Blink of an Eye" and the improv in declination; a melodic crescendo based on the guitar accompanied by the other instruments returning the same. "Solid Resolution Theory" for a bluesy, melodic sound, a long destructuring suite with a guitar that never ends, for hard fans of DREAM THEATER. "View from the Mountaintop" with a piano-bass variation, appearance of layers of various keyboards accompanied by a limpid guitar. "Your Beard Is Good" for a rhythmic synth-guitar fight, then Zappaien, then jazzy that even grooves. "Ya Mon" jazzy with warm and languid keyboard, it's long but the notes flow naturally.

LTE3 is a very nice surprise, I feared a repeat like many recent dinosaur bands that come out of the good but not the excellent, kind album glorified but not objective. Well, big sound with a bass that slows down the scent of notes a little, tunes cut to make you vibrate on your seats, on your walkers or on your youpalas; LTE has therefore released a musical toy here, one of those that you will grind while also laughing at those who have fun putting in a drawer: prog, heavy, jazzy, bluesy, metal, musical, OMNI also and especially for a great album ; let's stop chronicling and relaunch the replay.

Here's a failed opportunity to show that the musical power of these great performers can be harnessed for more than just empty displays of virtuosity. The whole album is a succession of dizzying solos, spectacular in their technique, but empty in their musical content. Little emotion is breathed among the overwhelming succession of sixteenth notes. Of course, there are interesting moments and some good tunes here and there. And the communion between the interpreters is very successful. It is clear to all of us that these musicians are masters of their instruments, but music is more than just technique. Maybe next time...

Wow, there are some really tough customers in the reviews so far. Liquid Tension Experiment is back and sounding great! The three singles Hypersonic, Beating the Odds, and Passage of Time are pretty in-your-face with the technical virtuosity, but I think they are entertaining and engaging compositions. A highlight of the album is the hard rocking Rhapsody in Blue, and it shows that despite all their many hours of practice and precision, this band knows how to have a good time. I also really love the lead guitar playing on Liquid Evolution. Key to the Imagination is classic Liquid Tension Experiment, an extended composition that seems to tell as story with a lot of twists and turn. I enjoy the second disc of the improvised jams too. As you can expect, the second disc is a lot less structured, basically just four great musicians hanging out and seeing what happens when they hit record. The results are positive, some very cool solos and grooves there.

I used to like LTE more than I do now. Tastes change, and playing notes ultra fast doesn't impress me anymore. Anyway, this new release sounds the same as the others. Instrumental motions to show off the musical talents of the band. "Liquid Evolution", the shortest and most musically different song, had potential to take off. It's my favorite. I'm also digging, the DT sounding - "The Passage of Time". Good rocker. However, most of this incredibly long, two CD, triple LP, is mega boring for me. Endless noodling or shredding that is snoozy. No soul, no songs, no fun... nothing I want to hear again.

There are five formats (5.1 mix on blu-ray) of this release to choose from. Too bad the music isn't on par with the marketing. The second disc of jams is a mess. But really, if you loved their other releases chances are you'll jump up and down with glee when you hear this. Just not my choice of beverage. 2.5 rounded up.

After the success of the first album (especially because songs like Universal Mind and Paradigm Shift) another album comes up, this time with a better sound production, mixing, new ideas and now this time they are taking it slowly making the songwriting (they took 2 months doing it, they wrote the first album in 1 week, that's a big difference right there). This album keeps the same musical formula as the last album (Progressive Metal) but at the same time it brings a lot of new ideas and fabulous songs for us the listeners.

The first song, Acid Rain, one of the most famous songs of the band, starts without any hesitation, giving us a clear reference of what the song will be. In this song we have melodic but at the same time crazy keyboard, jazzy drums, and heavy guitar and bass riffs. There is a section where the Drums, Guitar and Bass make a incredible power trio, before the keyboard strikes again and does an amazing solo. A very good song, and one of the favorite of the people.

The second song, Biaxident, starts with an epic introduction, letting us know that this will not be a relaxing song. This one would be the more jazzy-like song of the album in my opinion. It has one of the beautiful Keyboard and Guitar duet solos, which instead of going crazy with shredding that they usually do, they both play incredible and melodic solos that goes along with the context of the song, a perfect combination. It's a very beautiful song, very motivating and a upbeat tune.

The third song, 914. This is what i call "The Bass song", Tony Levin does an incredible job in this one. But the other band members don't stay back,. Rudess does an incredible job with the atmosphere of the song and obviously with a crazy synth solo, one of my favorite from him. Meanwhile Portnoy keeps the groove of the song doing an excellent job on the drums. Very cool and underrated song from them.

The next song, Another Dimension, one of my favorite but at the same time one of my least favorite (if that makes any sense). Let's see, the first 7 minutes of this song, they are excellent. A really good and heavy riff, latin drums, and one of the best part of the whole album, the Accordion solo, it makes me feel like i'm in France, and then after that comes up a beautiful Spanish guitar, making this part even better. But after that, is where in my opinion the song goes downhill, it gets repetitive with the same riff playing over and over during 2 minutes straight, ruining what they were building in the first 7 minutes. An excellent song, but repetitive at the end.

The next song, When The Water Breaks. Well, this song is what i call "The Big Boy" of the album, every prog album has at least one "Big Boy". Rush's Farewell to Kings has Xanadu or Cygnus X-1 for example. When The Water Breaks is the Big Boy of this album, an absolute masterpiece. This song starts with a really calm piano and synth, then the drums suddenly comes changing the music style completely, preparing us for what is coming in this song. This song, has everything, it has calm, heavy and crazy parts through all the song, an incredible Rudess and Petrucci duet, an amazing drum solo, an excellent build-up meanwhile Rudess is doing one of his BEST solos ever and a crazy and unexpected end. This song is a masterpiece and one of my favorite songs from them, I absolutely love it!

Chewbacca, this song is loved by some and hated by others. In my opinion, that's because Chewbacca is a drum- based song, that's why some people find it boring, as a drummer myself I love this song and find it "different". This song has a lot of drum breaks and a "latino" (I don't have any other word to describe it) drum mid-section, which gives a different aura to the song, a pretty good song, but not for everyone.

Liquid Dreams, although this song is very relaxing and has interesting ideas, it get repetitive for a lot of people. In my opinion is a decent song, not the best, but not their worst. I love Rudess' keyboard in this song, that's something positive in this song but at the same time i don't like it, the synth tune used in the second half of the song is really annoying, ruining the chill atmosphere that the song had, that's the thing. The first half of the song is very good and relaxing, but the other half is completely annoying and i don't enjoy it, at least the last 2 minutes are very good compared to the mid part of the song. Decent song.

Hourglass, a beautiful melodic song, this is State Of Grace of this album, a simple song but with a strong melogy that can get you some feelings. The acoustic guitar and the piano makes a perfect combination. A very good song.

Liquid Tension Experiment 2 it's a really good adventure to listen to, it has fantastic and motivating moments, although there are some "obstacles" to enjoy this adventure, it's worth it.