UNFOLDED LIKE STAIRCASE

I really have to think too much to buy this CDm, since I read the other reviews and I must admit that, even if I'm a prog fan for over 30 years, I heard very little Van Der Graaf Generator music and I was never the biggest King Crimson fan. Having said that, I algo should point I respect both bands very much. So when I finally did get the CD I was quite surprised how good it sounded. Yes, most reviewrs are rihgt: the King Crimson\VDGG\early Genesis influenes are enormous. Still they don't just made a copy of those bands. There are some differences, or should I say,they really made their own sound out of their obvious heroes. The guitar solos for instance have nothing to do with the aforementioned bands and it gives Discipline a quite melodic and bright side to an otherwise very dark album.

The CD is not really perfect, in a classic way to judge it as a essential masterpiece, although it comes really close to that, in my humble opinion. The first song, Canto IV (limbo), deserves a five star rate in any way, it's just gorgeous. Everything fits perfectly: the songwriting, voice, instruments, arrangements... The other 3 songs are excellent too, but for some reason they seem disjoined at some points. A minor flaw, anyway, for I keep coming back to this CD over and over again. and since I got a collection of over 1000 CDs to pick up, this is no small feat.

Matthew Parmenter is a truely gifted singer and songwriter, and the band has musicians of rare calibre. If the next releases are as good as this one, it's surely a band to keep an eye on. The chemistry works and maybe they need a lttle more time to fully develop their potential. Which, I should point out again, is huge. Highly recommended.