The definition of instrumental rearkickery
Liquid Tension Experiment's debut marked several firsts: for one it marked the first collaboration between keyboard guru Jordan Rudess with Petrucci/Portnoy and it marked the first real time that the main Dream Theater songwriting core of Petrucci/Portnoy were free to write a full album of instrumental music without having to make structure for vocals. The result is a stunning album that sounds like a hybrid of insane jazz/fusion and DT's brand of bombastic, melody-drench, and ultra-technical prog-metal.

The songs are excellently crafted, especially when one considers that the album was written AND recorded in a mere 2-3 weeks. The opener 'Paradigm Shift' sets the tone for the album right from the get-go, exploding out of your speakers with a lightning-speed shred lick and exploding into a melodic progression of most excellent riffage. Excellent. Luckily there are tons of highlights here other than Paradigm, including the gorgeous 'State of Grace', the powerful and driving 'Freedom of Speech', the jam-fest/prog-fest 'Universal Mind' (the second half of which, starting with the solo piano in the middle, is one of the greatest streches of music I've ever heard), and the wholly-improvised 30-minute 'Three Minute Warning'. There's no way you can go wrong on this album no matter what track you pick.

Any fan of prog, metal, fusion, jazz, or music in general needs to pick up this disc as well as the arguably superior LTE2. Essential.

LTE 10th Anniversary Vinyl
Vinyl On Magna Carta


Help us plan our vinyl release schedule for 2008. Vinyl releases on Magna Carta
will be issued as:
Double LP sets; 180 gram virgin vinyl; Gatefold Sleeves; Limited to 1,000 copies Worldwide (in some cases only 500 copies)

Let us know what release would you like to see on vinyl next from Magna Carta:

Liquid Tension Experiment - Liquid Tension Experiment 2
Bozzio Levin Stevens - Black Light Syndrome
Working Man (Rush Tribute)

Liquid Tension Experiment - Dream Theater Side Project Produces Excellent Results

LTE is what happens when you put 3 members of progressive metal masters Dream Theater with bassist extraordinaire Tony Levin. The album is basically an hours worth of instrumental fireworks that is a prog metal heads wet dream. The musicianship is exactly what you would expect from these guys. Lightning fast guitar, bass, keys and drums that pound the listener into submission. The band also showcase a more mellow side on the 7th track "State Of Grace", but for the most part this is all out progressive metal. The final track on the disc is a half hour long improvisation called "Three Minute Warning". The fact that these guys can put together such a cohesive piece of work in what is for all practical purposes a jam session is a testament to the incredible talent these guys posses. Fans of Dream Theater should love this and fans of heavy progressive rock in general should enjoy it as well.

No way 4 musicians could do this!!!
I'm going to keep this short and sweet. This jam session absolutely shreds! I bet someone in the studio just hit the red light and said 'play'. This is madness, absolute madness! A prog-metalhead's dream come true.

A great buy for any lover of this band
A great buy for any lover of this band