Discipline - Breadcrumbs Progressive Voyages Review PV012
Discipline – Breadcrumbs – Progressive Voyages Review PV012
Discipline are one of America's most foremost Progressive Rock bands and they have been in existence since 1987 which gives them a real longevity on the us Prog scene,
They were formed in detroit and are well known and highly regarded for their complex arrangements and theatrical performances.
This new album comes several years after their previous release Unfolded Like Staircase which came out in 2022 after and an 11 year break, That album was extremely well received much as I expect this one will also be, What is different though is that this will be released by new label Prog Rock Essentials who have a growing roster of top artists including, Unitopia, Fearful Symmetry and Ghost Of The Machine and Solstice all bands that are making waves at the present time, so things are looking good for this release whe it is released in early August.
It is an album of just 5 tracks, One is an epic of 16;56 the others are shorter in lengths ranging from 5:28 to 10:40 minutes duration the whole album lasts for just shy of 48 minutes in total, The album begins with the epic track which is an unusual approach but then discipline answer only to their own rules I suppose. well it’s a bold decision however it certainly seems to work for them. The song is about how our lives are ruled contained and corralled by the algorithms that are in everything we view on either our phones or online, the line So we trade our treasures for gold, monetized searches purchases masked as our preferences is very telling and true.
As our every action and interaction is seen by those unseen who seek to steer our view in their favour and direction. It is a great track one that has some wonderful musical interludes, parts and section from Matthew Parmenters piano and violin parts and also from Chris Herrin’s mighty guitar work that peppers this very strong track.
It is a song that makes you think and may cause you to make a few changes in your online presence, I guess that’s up to you to decide though.
The album continues with Keep The Change which is about a soldier in an unspecified conflict, possibly Ukraine as the song mentions Russia. It speaks of hoping the child understands the sacrifice he is making for his country and ultimately for the child. It is quite a sombre song it opens with Acoustic guitar and a simple yet effective rhythm, it put me in mind if ELP’s Lucky Man as it is in a similar vein, the middle section of the song sounds a lot darker with a strong bass and doom-laden sound before returning to the lighter tone prior to Chris’s guitar break, which is very lyrical in both tone and style. The final verse plays out with guitar interjections, A good song overall.
This is followed by When The Night Calls To Day, which is somewhat unclear what the song is about it suggests the movement of a group of people from the Flatlands (Kansas or similar) to the east coast New York area for a better life it also seems to allude to the cycle of life with incarceration and death mentioned.
This is followed by the instrumental track Aloft which has some very jazzy guitar lines good piano and organ parts and a violin solo from Matthew it is an upbeat track where everyone gets a chance to shine equally.
Final track of the album is the second Longest is called Aria and this is a slow burn of a track starts with a sprightly yet strong melody, before moving into a more subdued vocal section which supp9 y a strong upfront bass part the vocal here is hauntingly tender and memorable Indeed along with the violin lines which emphasise the sadness of the song is a most effective manner there is also great electric piano and other keyboards in this track.
I really do like this track I think it is very moving and very well delivered.
Info here: Discipline – Breadcrumbs NEW ALBUM – Discipline Band Website https://share.google/KP66nqe1QFp78uRk2
Author – John Wenlock-Smith