LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT 3

Two stars is the minimum I can give for this album. Calling it "poor" simply feels wrong considering how incredible the musicality is, so I'm going to say it's for their fans only (and for fans of technical wanking).

Heavily disappointed. Uninspired is the best way to describe it. There's nothing that interests me in this album rather than the musicianship which is honestly sad, since high musicianship doesn't always mean high quality by itself. They show off every single second of this album and not a single memory sticks with you after a full listen. Now, I agree that LTE has never been the best when it comes to soul in music, but at least they have some tracks with some value in them like Acid Rain or When The Water Breaks. There's simply nothing that stands out in this album.

If you're a LTE fan, I guess you could enjoy this album. But I think even the most hardcore Dream Theater fans would struggle at enjoying this one.

Well,it has finally arrived; after years of waiting,anticipating, and great expectations...it lands with a thud. I never thought this incredible line up could falter. But, here it is an exercise in musical misjudgement. All these wonderful musical virtuosos put this mess into a hodgepodge of riff rock and boring bomblast. It begins with HYPERSONIC a ridiculously fast speedball of blazing tempo drums and guitar. This thrill ride is not at all a pleasant listening experience. The song, THE PASSAGE OF TIME ,is for me the best track on the cd. It is a rocker of considerable weight; perfect guitar and keyboard interplay with outstanding drums by Mike Portnoy. After this piece it goes downhill fast. CHRIS AND KEVIN'S AMAZING ODYSSEY plods along going nowhere. This is a rehash of CHRIS AND KEVIN'S BOGUS JOURNEY from the SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION RELEASE. Then, they lay out another song from their past, Gershwin's RHAPSODY IN BLUE...A GREAT SONG; but another version brings the cd vibe down. It does not fit the rest of the music at all. SHADES OF HOPE and KEY TO THE IMAGINATION plainly show they have lost the key and there is no hope for this release. I love just about everything JOHN PETRUCCI, JORDAN RUDESS,TONY LEVIN, and MIKE PORTNOY have done in the past ; and this release does not reach the high standard of reserve for these great musicians. Sorry guys.

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.

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.

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...

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.

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?

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!

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.