The way we Listen

Let me talk about an album I’ve been listening to for the last few weeks : Liquid Tension Experiment. In 1997, the progressive metal band Dream Theater was touring to support their last album titled Falling into infinity. Mike Portnoy, DT’s drummer and leader, began to form a progressive “supergroup” in which he invited keyboardist Jordan Rudess (who was in the band Dixie Dregs at the time, but then joined DT full-time), bassist Tony Levin (John Lennon’s band and Peter Gabriel’s band) and fellow DT guitarist John Petrucci. They decided to name the band “Liquid Tension Experiment”.

The result of the collaboration of these four extremely talented musicians is a really intense and wonderful instrumental album. This record is a mix between progressive metal and metal fusion.

1. Paradigm Shift. The first time I played the CD I was like… WOW!! A very original way to start an album and introduce a band : a very heavy and fast way! A great tune, one of their most famous song. Each musician introduces his talent. 8/10

2. Osmosis is a slower and smoother song. It begins with a drum & bass duet, followed by some piano. It throws you in kind of an exotic atmosphere, very relaxing. 7/10

3. Kindred Spirits is, to me, the masterpiece of this record. Heavy tune, but not so full of notes. The guitar and keyboard solos are very precise and bring an incredibly catchy melody, introduced by a small piano at 1:30. My favorite instrumental piece so far with “The Dance Of Eternity” by DT. 9.5/10

4. The Stretch is a short jazzy tune, based on a bass & brass riff. On top of this, Jordan Rudess improvises a melody with a lead sound. Not the best one. 5/10

5. Freedom of Speech is typically a DT-like song, built on catchy harmonies and a fast and crazy middle part. It’s a powerful song but something is missing to make it magical. 7.5/10

6. Chris and Kevin’s Excellent Adventure is not really a song, it’s a jam. Mike Portnoy and Tony Levin improvising on their instruments. It has no structure, no real intro no real outtro, but it’s still a fun song to listen to. 6.5/10

7. State Of Grace is a beautiful ballad, driven by a piano melody that continues with a guitar melody. John Petrucci really shows another talent, less technical and full of notes but more harmonious. 8/10

8. Universal Mind is another heavy great song, very similar to Paradigm Shift. The introduction makes a thrilling transition with State of Grace. And the crazy honky tonk piano part at the end is really classic Jordan 8.5/10

9. Three Minute Warning is a piece split in five parts. Another jam improvisation that has a fun history. Tony Levin always prefered to jam, as opposed to Petrucci and Portnoy who like to write songs precisely. The “3 minutes” referes to an ultimatum given by Levin “if we don’t jam in 3 minutes, I leave”… This piece is just what followed, and was recorded just as it is.

Since Jordan Rudess joined DT soon after the success of this record (and a second one, which followed up a year later), this album may sound very very similar to DT instrumental work. However I find it more relaxed, mainly because it was just a side-project, done without pressure. And above all it contains some gems. My final mark would be 8/10.