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Discipline — Unfolded Like Staircase
(Strung Out Records SOR 6802, 1997, CD)

Unfolded Like Staircase Cover art

The last time I played this CD wasn't too long ago, around the time the band's long awaited (and fantastic) To Shatter All Accord came out. Unfolded Like Staircase is perhaps a really good example of how excellence can sometimes transcend genre. In some ways, the band's style has a similar mix to the way the original Marillion got their sound from a combination of influences from Van der Graaf Generatior / Peter Hammill and Genesis, with a really strong concentration of themes of suffering and melancholy, which was something that might have appealed more to my teenage / early 20s self than anything afterwards. But there has always been something about the songwriting when it comes to this particular lineup that makes their sound so accessible; Discipline always managed to really create a nice blend between the vocal and instrumental segments, with all sorts of memorable themes that gave it a high replayability factor. Jon Preston Bouda's guitar work always seemed to be an anchor that grounded everything around it, often a ray of light in a sea of hopelessness that gave the music a lot of depth. It still holds up after all these years and now they've made a true and worthy follow-up to it, they've cemented themselves as one of America's best symphonic rock groups.

by Mike McLatchey, Published 2017-08-03

It's been a long, long time since this Detroit-based ensemble released Push and Profit, and in that time the band has made some substantial strides in their own development. Despite the loss of a keyboardist, the band, now a four-piece with eclectic frontman Matthew Parmenter assuming keyboard duties (as well as violin and sax), has finally made up their mind as to which direction to take their music and the results are pretty impressive. Parmenter is still the driving force behind all the writing, and he dominates the live show as well, with powerful imagery and stage presentation not unlike Genesis circa 1971-73. The influences are plenty obvious, from neo to early 70s symphonic, but the best comparison is late-period Van der Graaf Generator, especially Godbluff and Still Life.  Unfolded Like Staircase is 65 minutes long, but there are only four multi-part tunes here, one of which is the long-awaited CD release of their masterpiece to date "Canto IV (Limbo)." Some of the problems that plagued their first release are still here, such as painfully slow tempos throughout, but at least the overall energy and focus are much more intense with this release. Some people might find the lyrics a bit too doom-n-gloomy, but then again the same could be said of VdGG. Hopefully Discipline will continue the growth they've shown with this release, and hopefully we won't have to wait so long next time either. Recommended, especially to Genesis and Van der Graaf fans.

by Dan Casey, Published 1998-02-01

Often a band's second studio effort is like a step forward into an abyss in search for identity: a blind kind of "where do we go from here?" I'm excited to say that after much effort and anticipation the wait is over for Discipline! Matthew Parmenter and company have managed to literally 'progress' (in the truest sense of the word) from humbler ideas on their first album, Push & Profit. How have they managed to accomplish this you may ask? Within the context of four long pieces (averaging fifteen minutes each), the band has refined their dramatic approach and evolved into an individual and less derivative sound. The band is more polished and mature from gigging, evident in smooth transitions between changing themes. Personnel-wise there is no real loss in the keyboard department since writer and vocalist Parmenter has undertaken the duties himself.  He has also added instrumentation fleshed out with sax and violin accompaniments. Guitarist Jon Bouda is the counterpoint voice in the storm, providing a 70s-oriented approach to lead guitar breaks: kind of like Jimmy Page rockin' up Van der Graaf Generator circa Godbluff. Staircase may still be missing the dramatic flair of the live band, but it does capture a group coming to terms with a strong song based format. After seeing the band's stellar performance at ProgDay 1996, I have been waiting forever to get a copy of these live tunes played on that small outdoor stage. This disc happily makes it onto my top ten list for the year.

by Jeff Melton, Published 1998-02-01

Here at last is the long awaited follow up to Discipline's remarkable debut from '93, Push & Profit. Unfolded Like Staircase is really three new pieces (all quite long) with the previously released "Canto IV" as the opener. Matthew Parmenter is again solidly at the helm and proving once again to be one of the most talented young men in music today. Not only did he write all the music and lyrics, he also handles all vocals and keyboards and throws in some sax and violin playing to boot! Augmented ably by guitar, bass, and drums, Parmenter sketches out some richly dark and disturbing themes on Unfolded, not too dissimilar to the style of Anekdoten or IQ, whose Peter Nicholls comes to mind when hearing Parmenter's vocals. His expressive voice wraps around the lyrics with a skill very few singers in rock posses. Matthew’s obviously a hard-workin' guy but he brings real creativity, personality, and intensity to the material as well. An element of blues-rock occasionally wafts through the songs via Jon Bouda's guitar though those familiar with Push & Profit will find this disc to be generally darker and less rocking as its predecessor. While I've felt this band has the potential to reach a broader audience, the lack of shorter, hook heavy pieces (as on P&P) and the overall darker nature of Unfolded Like Staircase will prevent it for the time being. Though for the rest of us, this is a real winner and easily one of my top 10 for the year.

by Paul Hightower, Published 1998-02-01

Filed under: New releases, 1997 releases

Related artist(s): Discipline

 

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