LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT

As a very big Dream Theater fan, I was interested when I first heard about this album. I went to the store and picked it up immediately. When I got home, I put on my headphones and listened to an incredible work of music. As most of you know, LTE contains some of the best musicians in the prog rock world: John Petrucci, Mike Portnoy, Jordan Rudess, and Tony Levin. This album is a stage for the musicians to participate in what some people call 'technical masturbation', this is not the case. Yes, there are many filler tracks (The Stretch, Osmosis, etc.).

The opening track "Paradigm Shift" is a powerhouse track, with an incredible Petrucci opening, and nothing less that excellent playing by the rest of the group. Other tracks worth mentioning are "Univeral Mind", "State of Grace", "Kindred Spirits", and the 25 minute improvisation "3 Minute Warning" (This track is not for the faint of heart, it even mentions on the CD case).

Overall, this album is a stellar work that no DT fan should be without. Each musician shows that they are virtuosos at their instruments, with excellent performances from everyone. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for powerhouse metal that has softer and more melodic tendencies.