Liquid Tension Experiment (Dream Theater, King Crimson) Debut First New Song in 20+ Years
What a great coupla days we’re having for long-dormant supergroups! Yesterday, Tomahawk (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, the Jesus Lizard, etc.) released their first new song in eight years… and now, for the first time since June of 1999, we have new music from Liquid Tension Experiment, the prog-metal jam band featuring current (John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess) and former (Mike Pornoy) members of Dream Theater alongside King Crimson’s Tony Levin.
June of 1999! Vince and I were still in high school. The Phantom Menace and The Matrix had only recently opened in theaters. Neither Decibel nor Revolver existed. “Streaming” referred exclusively to liquids and not media content. That’s how long ago that shit was.
Sorry. I’m rambling. Down to business:
Liquid Tension Experiment’s first new song in more than 21 years is called, appropriately, “The Passage of Time” (so my prediction that it would be the song “Shades of Hope” was wrong). It’s is seven-and-a-half minutes of four extremely talented musicians showing off how big their dicks are and all the creative ways they’ve learned to masturbate because they’re double-jointed. James LaBrie is nowhere to be found.
In other words, it’s freakin’ fantastic.
Says Portnoy of the song:
“‘The Passage of Time’ was the very first song we composed together when we reunited this past summer. It was so exciting to be back in a room creating together again after so long (22 years for all 4 of us and over 10 years for the 3 of us since being together in DT). This serves as a great first taste for the listeners as it combines so many of the musical elements that makes LTE unique.”
Adds The ‘Trooch:
“This was the first song we worked on and when it was done, we all knew once again how amazing it was to be working together. We knew we were on to something and that this was going to be a really amazing album. Nothing about the passage of over two decades could’ve done anything to change that. To me this song truly reflects the collaborative songwriting efforts of all four of us.”
Rudess ruminates:
“There is an undeniable chemistry that happens when the four of us are together. Entering the studio and starting work on ‘The Passage of Time’ after 22 years literally gave me a whole new perspective on these important musical (and personal) relationships and the way time is so relative. We just jumped right in, it was like no time had passed at all, and we created a song that has so many of the elements that make LTE unique. Not a day has gone by since our last release when I wasn’t asked, ‘When is LTE getting back together again?’ Now we can finally deliver, and I can’t wait for everybody to hear our creation.”
Levin concludes:
“From the murky depths of the lockdown, LTE has re-emerged, galvanized, dripping with ideas, and taking no prisoners. ‘The Passage of Time’ is just the beginning.”
Check out ‘The Passage of Time’ via the below video, which, in true LTE fashion, is basically images from a lava lamp intercut with footage of the band members being better musicians than you.
LTE3 comes out March 26 on InsideOutMusic. Pre-order it here.
