Creative songwriting meets skillful instrumental execution - A review of Liquid Tension Experiment's Liquid Tension Experiment 3

Alright, let's kick this review off on a different note for a change. There are many prejudices regarding Liquid Tension Experiment and its third studio album and almost all of them are completely wrong in my book. Is it true that the quartet sounds rusty twenty-two years after its last studio output? No, the four talented gentlemen don't sound rusty at all and have excellent chemistry which is quite astonishing considering that bassist Tony Levin is already seventy-four years old. Doesn't Liquid Tension Experiment only offer long-winded instrumental wankery for pretentious connoisseurs? No, that isn't the case either since the songs vary in length, sound surprisingly structured and should at least partially appeal to most fans of progressive rock and metal music. Is it true that the band basically sounds like Dream Theater without vocals? No, Dream Theater focuses much more on atmosphere, concept and structure than the mostly improvised songwriting of Liquid Tension Experiment. Doesn't Liquid Tension Experiment sound much better than Dream Theater? No, it doesn't and it wouldn't be fair to compare those two bands since James LaBrie's emotional vocals have always been an essential element in Dream Theater's sound. Wouldn't it be great to have Mike Portnoy back in Dream Theater since he is still cooperating with some of its members in Liquid Tension Experiment? No, that wouldn't be a great idea since Mike Portnoy has many other interesting projects going on and the chemistry in Dream Theater with current drummer Mike Mangini seems to be better than ever before.

With those questions out of the way, what can we say about this instrumental progressive metal album whose limited edition includes thirteen songs and a whopping running time of one hour and fifty-seven minutes? Well, the final result is varied, skillful and much more entertaining than I had initially expected. The first disc offers eight more structured tunes while the second disc presents five songs consisting of improvised jams. The first disc should be accessible for most progressive rock and metal fans while the second disc is for die-hard fans of the band only.

Among the most accessible songs, ''Beating the Odds'' comes around with futuristic melodies where guitars and keyboards harmonize perfectly and bring back the greatest hours of progressive rock and metal music of the nineties. ''The Passage of Time'' also opens up after a few spins with a more technical, raw and contemporary edge driven by the guitars and rhythm section but those passages are refreshingly interwoven with mellower parts driven by imaginative keyboard sounds and a few heartfelt guitar solos.

Among the more experimental tracks, ''Chris & Kevin's Amazing Odyssey'' is a highly atmospheric combination of otherworldly bass guitar sounds and playful percussive sections that take the listener on an uneasy but fascinating trip. ''Shades of Hope'' on the other side offers an epic, melodic and vibrant combination of mid-paced piano sounds and slow guitar leads that makes for an imaginative instrumental ballad.

The record's longest tunes like the warm, slow and mellow ''Rhapsody in Blue'' and the diversified, imaginative and spectacular ''Key to the Imagination'' combine the more accessible moments with the group's confident experimental side. They sound appealing upon first contact but need some focus and time to fully unfold due to their epic lengths.

Not every single experiment on this album works out however. The challenging ''Hypersonic'' is chaotic, fast and technical and the worst way to open an album in my opinion. ''Solid Resolution Theory'' is a tad bit repetitive towards the end and could have been cut by at least three minutes to make it sound more fluid, focused and organic.

At the end of the day, Liquid Tension Experiment's third studio album was certainly worth the wait and offers almost two hours of diversified, inspired and technically stunning progressive metal musicianship that grows with every single spin. That's no music to be listened to on your iPod on your bus ride to work or on Spotify while cooking your dinner. This music is best appreciated with some time, patience and focus as you put your headphones on, sit down and close your eyes. This imaginative music offers escapism of the greatest kind and transports its listeners to worlds unknown which is a welcome gift in tough times like these.

Final rating: 85%