TO SHATTER ALL ACCORD

Now yes. A well-priced album which I have no complaints.

Fourteen years after his last album, "Unfolded Like Staircase", the semi-unknown American symphonic rock band Discipline returns to the scenes. And wow, that return. To Shatter All Accord is the album that marks the back and has proven itself a prime candidate for the "best of the year." At the time of writing this review he is No. 1 of 2011, and unlike Visions or Grace For Drowning (who have held this position) I think the fact that this album is such an honor to get well deserved. After they came back with an album that is Symphonic Prog at its best!

But this is not that Symphonic Prog unapologetically retro it has become so common in recent times. Yes, you will find nods to Genesis (especially the use of the organ) and Yes (the smoothness of the piano and some passages) - the names of the two major symphonic prog - but here too there are influences of two main eclectic prog names: King Crimson and Van Der Graaf Generator. KC by your polyrhythmic experimentation and VdGG by frequent use of sax, piano heavy and even occasional jazz-fusion. The voice of lead singer Matthew Parmenter seems the junction of the smoothness of Jon Anderson with the theatrics and drama of the two Peters: Hamill and Gabriel.

So the songs.

Circuitry serves as the introduction to the album, starting bluntly, a basic guitar riff leads us to the main melody, with vcais of Parmenter and a basic body. but at 1:40 the music changes to a piano à la Yes and this section continues until the four minutes, when it returns to its start with a much more aggressive guitar leading the song to a grand finale, ending it with a sustained note organ ...

... which leads to When The Walls Are Down. Here things get even more interesting. The music has two distinct sections that alternate (the structure can refer to I Want You (She's So Heavy), by the Beatles) and each one is a gem. At the end of the song goes to a fantastic climax, which is growing and becoming more powerful. Simply masterful!

Dead City is the shortest of the album, with 5 minutes. However Discipline what makes these five minutes are not many bands in a entire album (seriously!). The guitar at the beginning is something of a style King Crimson, but the song evolves into something stronger, and is definitely the most "happy" of album.

When She Dreams She Dreams in Color however is a pit of gloom and darkness. The first part is sort VdGG - Parmenter's voice more than ever referring to Hamill and percussion performed in jazz - but there for five minutes the music is a coda of another world. God, the guitars, bass, mellotron and violin asphyxiating you just take this reality! Fantastic!

Things get even more with the epic Rogue. A monster 24 minutes which is obviously one of the best of the year (not just its end pleases me very much, because I think somewhat anti- climactic). Throughout its various sections music reflects many influences - there's a section here that somehow reminds me Transatlantic - but always remains standing (as I said I dislike his final sentences), and obviously the highlight of the album.

Given all written here, I can only say that this is so far the album of the year for me, along with A Dramatic Turn of Events and Testimony 2. Five stars, and Discipline will give us more masterpieces like this!

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