Discipline.

Discipline to play The 2DAYS PROG +1 Festival. September 2017.

Now considered the most important international festival at the Italian level and one of the most important globally for progressive rock music, now in its 8th edition, which will be divided into three evenings, four standard concerts every night - twelve musical groups. Massive, as the duty of an international festival, the presence of foreign artists, ten.
Veruna, Italy - festival organizer

Recap de la programmation 2017
Mabel greer's toyshop UK
Harvest Espagne
Marbin USA
Pat O'May France
Shylock France
Il Castello di Atlante Italie
Ars Nova Japon
Mystery Quebec
Julian France
Karibow Allemagne
Karnataka UK
Discipline USA
Bon weekend à tous
Recap of the programming 2017

Mabel greer's toyshop UK
Harvest Spain
Marbin USA
Pat O'May France
Shylock France
The Castle of atlas italie
Ars Nova Japan
Mystery Quebec
Julian France
Karibow Germany
Karnataka UK
Discipline USA

Good weekend to all - Festival Organizer

PROGTOBERFEST ARTIST ANNOUNCEMENT #14

Progtoberfest III is proud to welcome Discipline. to the festival!!! Discipline weaves a wicked web of lush, whimsical melodies, cynical stories and melancholy theatrics—so disturbing some fans have pegged lead-man Matthew Parmenter as ‘unstable,’” writes Heidi Olmac in Detroit’s Orbit newspaper. New Zealand rock critic Kev Rowland describes Discipline as “one of the most important bands to come out of America in the last 25 years.” The American band Discipline has performed and recorded together since 1987. The band is now recording its fifth studio album with current members Paul Dzendzel (drums), Mathew Kennedy (bass guitar), Chris Herin (lead guitar), and Matthew Parmenter (vocals and keyboards).

In 2011 Discipline released its latest studio album “To Shatter All Accord,” which includes the 25 minute song suite “Rogue.” John Collinge, publisher of Progression Magazine, acknowledged “To Shatter All Accord” with the publication’s highest marks in his review (16 out of 16 stars). The band’s best known album is “Unfolded Like Staircase” (1997). With four sprawling epics, including “Canto IV (Limbo)” and “Crutches,” “Unfolded Like Staircase” is considered by some to be one of the best progressive rock albums of the 1990s. In The Dutch Progressive Rock Pages, Brian Watson goes further: “Unfolded is my favourite progressive rock album of all time. In over 30 years of listening, and out of a collection touching 1500 albums, Unfolded Like Staircase is ‘the one’” (DPRP Volume 51). The CD “Push & Profit” (1993) introduced Discipline to an international audience supported by a tour of Norway. The band also recorded a virtually unknown first album “Chaos Out of Order” (1988) that remained out of print for twenty-five years until the band’s indie label, Strung Out Records, reissued the recording in 2013.

Discipline has also released three live albums: “This One’s for England” (2014 double CD), “Live Days” (2010 double CD on Cyclops/GFT), and “Into the Dream” (1999 on Syzygy/SOR).

For more about Discipline, visit the band’s web site at
www.strungoutrecords.com - Kevin Pollack

Discipline biography
DISCIPLINE is one of those rare cases of obscurity combined with reverence. Much like Änglagård was the Swedish phenomenon, DISCIPLINE was the U.S. counterpart. They are bands that released two highly praised studio albums in the '90s, and then disappeared. The ensuing passage of time allowed them to become legendary. The most obvious difference from Änglagård being that the DISCIPLINE albums are still readily available.

Even though they did not have an official release until 1993, the band had been around since 1987. Guitarist John Preston Bouda, drummer Paul Dzendzel, bass player Mathew Kennedy, and singer/multi-instumentalist Matthew Parmenter began in a place that is not usually considered fertile ground for prog. When one thinks of Detroit (Michigan) music, it usually conjures images of Motown, Ted Nugent, or Iggy Pop. I lived in the area in 1987, and I can tell you that I was not looking for the next best thing to Marillion to emerge in my neck of the woods. However, they took the bull by the horns, and created a loyal following in the Detroit area. It wasn't just the challenging music that drew fans. The live shows harkened back to Gabriel-era Genesis. Matthew Parmenter changed costumes for each song, and wore his now trademark mime makeup. This led to his nick name, The Magic Acid Mime. They had no recording contract, but their cassette tapes were very well received.

In 1993 Discipline recorded their first proper album, "Push & Profit." It wasn't exactly a smash, but it was a critical success. A supporting tour in Norway also proved that they had moved far beyond local hero status. To get proper albums out there, they created their own independent label. DISCIPLINE, and Matthew Parmenter, are the only artists on Strung Out Records. "Push and Profit" was not your typical Neo fare. They took cues from many different areas of the prog realm. Where lesser bands using this approach might seem unfocused, DISCIPLINE blended it together as if this is the way it is supposed to be done.

1997 saw the release of the much-heralded "Unfolded Like a Staircase." Most (if not all) of the whimsy found on the debut was gone. This was a much darker album, and consisted of four long tracks. For this album, a Peter Hammill influence was very much in the forefront. That did not deter the fans, and it solidified what was to become their legendary status.

Although the studio albums were spaced out over four years, that did not mean these guys didn't keep busy. They toured often, and played ProgDay for five consecutive years. Parmenter also appeared as a guest on other artists' albums. However, by the end of the decade, it was over. Mathew Kennedy joined Parmenter's nephew in Eyestrings, and Matthew Parmenter focused on a solo career. He released his first solo album, "Astray," in 2005. The only other musician appearing on the album was Mathew Kennedy, so it wasn't that far from home. DISCIPLINE was not completely out of sight before this either. There were a series of live recordings released between 2000 and 2005. - Prog Archives

Progression Magazine Review Discipline Unfolded Like Staircase
Progression Magazine

BILL KNISPEL – VOLUME II, NUMBER 25

Unbelievable! Discipline, from Michigan, vaults into the first tier of American progressive bands with this highly creative effort.

Imagine a mix of U.K., Van der Graaf Generator and 1973 King Crimson stretching out over songs averaging 13 minutes each, replete with stabbing sax and dueling keyboards and guitars. That should give you a general idea of Discipline’s orientation.

Matthew Parmenter sings like a soul possessed on songs such as Canto IV (Limbo) and Into the Dream. His lyrics have a decidedly down-to-earth appeal, dealing primarily with relationship topics. Parmenter also contributes keyboards, alto sax, violin and orchestral chimes to this opus. Jon Preston Bouda provides melodic electric and acoustic guitar, while the rhythm section of Paul Dzendzel (drums/percussion) and Mathew Kennedy (bass) offers solid grooves while also stretching out to accentuate the musical tension.

Though the compositions are long, they always have a sense of “going somewhere” on the wings of solid musicianship. No neo-prog effort this, but a progressive statement of epic proportions that rocks. Unfolded Like Staircase comes highly recommended. - Progression Magazine

Big surprise of 2011. The band's independent label (Strung Out Records) released that third studio album, entitled “To Shatter All Accord”.

Matthew Parmenter - vocals, keys, descants; Jon Preston Bouda - guitars, Mathew Kennedy - bass, Paul Dzendzel - skins, percussion

Of course the Discipline fans could enjoy Matthew Parmenter's solo albums “Astray” (2004) and “Horror Express” (2008) which both had the feel of a band ... but this is the real thing! You can find the following compositions on “To Shatter All Accord”; “Circuitry”, “When The Walls Are Down”, “Dead City”, “When She Dreams She Dreams In Color” and “Rogue”. The album opener is “Circuitry” a rock song with those characteristic vocals and organ sound. The band’s unique sound has some resemblance with the music of Van Der Graaf Generator. You can hear this in a song like “When The Walls Are Down”. It has to do with the vocal style Matthew Parmenter uses. The tension of the music is slowly building up towards a climax. It is the first highlight of the album. “Dead City” is with it's five minutes (5:15) the shortest track of this album. This up tempo track has some jazzy elements, a beautiful melodic guitar solo and nice vocal lines. But those first three good songs are a warm-up to the last two brilliant Discipline compositions. The first one is entitled “When She Dreams She Dreams In Color” (13:41) and has a slow and intriguing opening. Very slowly the tension of the music is building up towards an amazing climax ... full Mellotron strings with a breathtaking melody. The first time I heared this piece of music full of passion and emotion ... I had tears in my eyes. The music goes straight for the heart. The Mellotron turns into a beautiful violin sound. The track has an abrupt ending. Only for this song you have to buy this album! Then it is time for the magnus opus of the album, “Rogue”. This suite is divided in the following chapters; “Scene I Prologue”, “Scene II Shadowgraph”, “Scene III Wee Bit ó Vitriol”, “Scene IV Borrowed and Blue”, “Scene V Blush and Rouge”, “Scene VI Trance”, “Scene VII Nightmare”, “Scene VIII Solus (Recapitulation)”, “Scene IX Soliloquy” and “Scene X Epilog”. It all comes together in this long (24:05) piece of music. Halfway the full Mellotron strings are combined with a melodic electric guitar before the track becomes more complex and is on his way to a climax. In some of the instrumental parts you can hear again those Van Der Graaf Generator influences. But you can also enjoy melodic guitar parts in this diverse track. This is where we (Discipline fans) all have been waiting for! The waiting is over ... - Douwe Fledderus for progVisions

The Orion Studios 20th Anniversary Appreciation Festival
Discipline performed at the 20th Anniversary celebration for Mike Potter’s Orion Showcase in Baltimore, Maryland. The show took place November 8, 2014.

“…Discipline played with a certain grit and conviction …and I couldn’t help but be engaged by the incredible energy of this band…. I’m officially a fan.”
–Read Ian Beabout’s complete review:
http://brutalprog.com/artrocktendencies/article/orion-studios-20th-anniversary-appreciation-festival - Ian Beabout