Discipline
Unfolded Like Staircase

The Discipline are a progressive rock band from the United States, from Detroit, Michigan, a place more commonly associated with the raw rock of bands like MC5, Ted Nugent, or Iggy Pop. The band has been active since the late '80s, but it wasn’t until 1993 that they managed to release their debut album “Push and Profit.” The album received a lukewarm reception from critics, and the group would wait another four years to release a follow-up.

The subsequent album, “Unfolded Like Staircase,” released in 1997, is one of the best progressive albums of the '90s, a fact even acknowledged by critics in the genre. In fact, the American prog scene was in great ferment during that period, as demonstrated by the releases from bands like Enchant, Spock's Beard, Echolyn, Naked Sun, etc.

Despite the moniker that hints at the masters King Crimson, the group's style is more akin to another fundamental band of the genre: the Van der Graaf Generator. In particular, the voice of the leader Matthew Parmenter skillfully emulates the theatricality of the great Peter Hammill. His hoarse singing, sometimes whispered, other times shouted, perfectly blends with the music, which is sometimes gentle, sometimes energetic. I would also like to add that Parmenter is a commendable multi-instrumentalist, effortlessly switching between keyboards, violin, and saxophone.

The album consists of four long suites, divided into movements, in the most classic progressive tradition. Despite what has been stated earlier, I believe the group's style remains personal. Nothing particularly innovative, for sure, but the music is well-played and of high quality. The compositions flow smoothly and are never banal, full of time changes, which seal the different moods and atmospheres of the tracks themselves. The masterpiece is the opening song of the album “Canto IV – Limbo,” perhaps the most electric and hard-hitting track on the album, where the guitar crafts splendid themes and solos that move within an ever-changing structure. Another special mention to the concluding track, “Before the Storm,” which starts as an intimate ballad with a prominent piano and then evolves into a track with an epic stride, featuring an interesting interplay between an organ, strings, and inspired, gritty guitar work.

In conclusion, this is undoubtedly an album that requires repeated listening to be fully appreciated, but I am sure it cannot disappoint progressive fans. Unfortunately, as has already happened with another of my favorite bands in the genre, Anglagard, Discipline produced only a subsequent “live” and then went silent without more news, except for the solo attempts of their leader.