The American band “Discipline” and particularly this album – “Unfolded Like Staircase” needs no introduction for those who follow the current prog scene. However, this section is also intended for members of the Phaedrus community who are more familiar with the classic bands of the 70’s. So, occasionally, this section will highlight albums that can serve as a perfect introduction for lovers of traditional progressive rock.
The style of “Discipline” fits under the traditional progressive rock language. The music they make could have been written in the 70’s because there are no stylistic elements that one could identify with the more avant-garde current progressive acts. But don’t let this put you down. Their music is not only good; it is much better than most current prog bands, whatever their sub-genre happens to be. Because one of Discipline’s strengths is at the same time the most common weakness in current prog bands: the melodies. Discipline’s melodies are ingenious, elaborate, original, well though-out. And they are also masters at achieving what progressive rock fans enjoy most: intense climaxes.
I believe this album is perfect for 70’s progressive prog lovers who believe that nothing much has happened after the early 80’s. In this section I will gradually build a selected catalog that could be called “Introduction to Current Prog for Old Prog Lovers”. So, consider this as the first addition to this catalog. I’m sure even current prog followers will find a few surprises…
A couple of examples:
Live in Gettysburgh (2015)
Canto IV (Limbo)
Before the Storm / Blueprint
You can purchase their music here.
Yeah this was a great surprise, an American Prog album that really delivers the goods. I got it when it came out at the recommendation of Progarchieves.com, and I was not disappointed, a very strong album I think.
I agree. One of the best prog albums of its decade…
Oh, Gee… The first Discipline I purchased and I was instantly hooked. These guys give a modern twists to the influences they receive from VDGG, 73-74 KC and 71-74 Genesis, while being receptive to some neo-prog standards and exposing disturbing lyrics (at times, gently disturbing).
To me, Discipline is the perfect example of why I say progressive rock is a misleading tag for our genre. There is no innovation in their sound, not breaking any aesthetic boundary, yet they have produced some of the most important art rock music in the last decades. In the past, I have compared them to Rachmaninov. When all his peers had abandoned tonality, he remained faithful to his aesthetic preferences and became one of the most important composers of the XXth century. In spite of the fact that most of his music could have been written 40 years before.
Had they remained a quintet with a permanent keyboardist for this, their second official album, I imagine that their sonic framework would have been more glorious. But again, things are OK and solid as they are recorded in this lovely album.
I agree. But not so much with respect to their studio work, but their live shows. Matthew has such a strong and magnetic personality and conveys so much on stage, that it’s a shame that his hands are tied up in the keyboards. They have kept their quartet configuration for their forthcoming album and that’s how we will see them on stage in Madrid on August 30th. But still, it’s an incredibly powerful act. I saw them live at Orion studios in Baltimore a couple of years ago and it was an incredible show.