LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT

With everything considered, Liquid Tension experiment is just Dream Theater with a bit of jazz fusion. After all, John Petrucci is the main force behind the compositions and the overall heavy sound they produce. This album is no different, but it does take a much different approach. It is obviously very jazzy, and has a lot of free-flowing jam elements as well. Like Dream Theater the musicianship is impeccable. Portnoy and Petrucci and Rudess do what they're best at while Tony Levin adds some melting bass lines.

'Paradigm Shift,' (9/10) 'Kindred Spirits,' (8/10) 'Freedom of Speech,' (9/10) and 'Universal Mind' (10/10) are all classic Dream Theater sounding songs.

The more experimental songs are 'Osmosis,' (5/10) the funky 'The Stretch' (6/10) and Chris and Kevin's Excellent Adventure.' (6/10)

Unfortunately they had to include 'Three Minute Warning' (3/10) which is really just a 30-minute jam session.

Other than that, this album is a lot of fun. The compositions are great and the jazziness is fine. Though I would say this effort is not as strong as their second, as they often lose focus especially in the last song.

7/10