UNFOLDED LIKE STAIRCASE

Discipline's Unfolded Like Staircase sounds like what might happen if Subterranea-era IQ were fused body and soul with Godbluff-era Van der Graaf Generator to perform their own take on Anglagard's Hybris - but even that comparison doesn't quite capture the unique sound Discipline bring to bear on this magnificent album.

With song structures and an overall album structure reminiscent of the golden age of prog, a frontman in the form of Matthew Parmenter who is able to get really into the dramatic, emotional lyrics presented, much like Peter Nicholls or Peter Hammill can at their best, and excellent musical performances from everyone concerned, the album takes the listener on a musical journey every bit as tempestuous as you might expect with song titles like Before the Storm. Whether you slide it into the neo-prog category because of the accessible nature and the occasional bit reminiscent of IQ, or symphonic due to the expansive song structure and the mildly greater level of complexity compared to typical neo-prog, Unfolded Like Staircase is one of the greatest prog masterpieces of the 1990s.