Discipline: Captives of the Wine Dark Sea

Though they burst on the then 'new wave of modern prog' scene back in 1988, American act Discipline have hardly been prolific in their near 30 year career. Chaos Out of Order, Push & Profit, and Unfolded Like Staircase were landmark releases that shot Discipline to the top of the mountain alongside the many acts that were also coming into prominence, like Spock's Beard, Anglagard, and The Flower Kings, but as the 1990s ended, the band quickly disappeared, not to be heard from again other than a few live appearances and then 2011's studio album To Shatter All Accord. Fast forward to 2017 and the band are back with their brand new album for Lasers Edge, titled Captives of the Wine Dark Sea. The current line-up of the band includes:

Matthew Parmenter – Vocals, Keyboards, violin, rhythm & acoustic guitars, e-bow, tambourine
Paul Dzendzel – Drums
Mathew Kennedy – Bass Guitar
Chris Herin – Lead Guitar

Herin will no doubt be familiar to some, as he's also the guitarist with Tiles, and probably the guy who hooked the band up with producer Terry Brown (Rush, Fate's Warning, Tiles) to help them put the new album together. Containing seven tracks, Captives of the Wine Dark Sea is 45-minutes of prog splendor, kicking off rather mightily with the Van Der Graaf Generator influenced opening epic "The Body Yearns", which is chock full of Matthew Parmenter's gritty, Peter Hammill styled vocals, tasty guitar licks, and haunting keyboard work. "Life Imitates Art" follows suit, another aggressive rocker, and the compelling instrumental "S" is a fine piece, with weaving keys, guitar, and violin creating plenty of drama and musical precision. While "Love Songs" is more of a folky Beatles styled pop number, it still drips with that Parmenter charm, and the band opt for a more 'alternative rock' flavor on the rootsy rocker "Here There is No Soul". Another instrumental comes in the form of the blazing "The Roaring Game", complete with a wealth of nimble Parmenter piano runs, locked in rhythms, and soaring Hammond organ, but the real gem here is the closing near 15-minute opus "Burn the Fire Upon the Rocks", which musically is like the first cousin to The Allman Brothers Band classic "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" meets Genesis' "Supper's Ready". Swirling organ & synths intertwine with melodic lead guitar over alluring, almost funk/jazz rhythms, the vocals not even really coming into play till the mid way point, supported by Mellotron, lilting guitar chords, and acrobatic bass. It's a perfectly crafted multi-movement song that shows off all of Discipline's powers.

Though it was six years in the making, Captives of the Wine Dark Sea was well worth the wait. Despite a song or two of filler, the rest of the album is quite strong, with the opening and closing numbers being absolute gems, making this a highly recommended release for any prog rock lover.

See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!

TRACK LISTING
01. The Body Yearns (9:25)
02. Life Imitates Art (4:19)
03. S (4:11)
04. Love Songs (3:43)
05. Here There is No Soul (3:20)
06. The Roaring Game (6:11)
07. Burn the Fire Upon the Rocks (14:32)
Total Time – 45:41

Added: July 15th 2017
Reviewer: Pete Pardo
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 2321
Language: english

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