Yes, you guessed right; there is a direct connection between LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT and LIQUID TRIO EXPERIMENT. In October 1998, LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT reunited in order to record their second album but this lasted only for a few days, since Petrucci's pregnant wife went into premature labor leaving the rest three guys in the studio. Instead of leaving the studio and wait for Petrucci, they decided to stay and jam.
This jamming session lasted a couple of days and produced some music that eventually made it to the second LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT album. The rest of the recordings remained inactive in Portnoy's archive for some years until he decided to get all this jamming into a full length album. Personally, I cannot consider Spontaneous Combustion as a 'regular' release because it does not follow an album's pattern or implements a certain composing structure (actually, there is no structure at all).
Among the 13 recordings you can find jazz additions, some psychedelic atmosphere and all the other elements that go with the word improvisation. The fact that there is no guitar got me really bored and - if I want to be honest with you - I have to admit that I listened to this for only one time (and possibly the last). I think this CD could be bought by musicians who are into this kind of sound and maybe can pull out one or more interesting ideas. Hell, I don't think that there will be one single DREAM THEATER fan who would like to get this CD because it has nothing to do with them.
So, if you think that you can be inspired or even learn something from the almost 80 minutes of relentless jamming then go ahead with it. Otherwise turn the other way and read the next Metal Temple review.
P.S.: Don't expect me to rate this CD.