Progressive metal instrumental Progressive rock Fusion Liquid Tension Experiment
"Three Minute Warning" is a reference to the recording sessions where Levin wanted to improvise as opposed to Petrucci and Portnoy wanting to carefully write songs. Levin eventually told the others that if they didn't start to jam in three minutes, he'd just go home. The song "Three Minute Warning" is a recording of what followed. The recording was so unexpectedly fluent that the recording tape ran out after about 27 minutes into the jam, but luckily Portnoy's DAT recorder archived the ending as well. Read more on Last.fm.

Liquid Tension Experiment is an instrumental progressive rock/metal project consisting of Dream Theater members John Petrucci (guitar), Jordan Rudess (keyboard), and Mike Portnoy (drums), as well as progressive rock icon Tony Levin (bass, Chapman stick) of King Crimson. The combo was formed as a side project to Dream Theater in 1997. Rudess was asked to join Dream Theater largely because of the success of the Liquid Tension Experiment; Mike Portnoy mentioned it in the introduction of the "Liquid Drum Theater" instructional DVD and in the Score Documentary. Jordan Rudess had previously declined the offer to join in 1994, instead becoming a member of the Dixie Dregs. The band played fast, fusion-based pieces similar to those of Dream Theater, if somewhat more jazzy, less orchestral, more virtuosity, and (almost entirely) devoid of vocals. Liquid Tension Experiment released two albums, Liquid Tension Experiment (1998) and Liquid Tension Experiment 2 (1999). A third album, Spontaneous Combustion, was spawned in between from DATs of jam sessions of Portnoy, Levin and Rudess. It was released as Liquid Trio Experiment as Petrucci couldn't participate to these sessions. Parts of these, though, were later included in LTE's second album. All three albums were released on Magna Carta records Liquid Tension Experiment also played a few live shows in New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles (1999 NAMM included!). Mike Portnoy has stated in numerous interviews (and on his web site FAQ) that there will not be a third LTE album, as 3/4 of the band is in the current Dream Theater line-up. However, several songs and "riffs" have been incorporated into Dream Theater's live performances, such as the "Instrumedley" from Live at Budokan (2004), this song was previously played in several live presentations including the 2003 Modern Drummer Festival during the Mike Portnoy presentation. In 2008, the group reunited and played several shows across the United States. Portnoy has since then stated that there will be CDs and DVDs released, as well as the possibility of a third album being produced. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.