You may be familiar with the band Discipline. Well, their singer/multi-instrumentalist/composer Matthew Parmenter released a stunning solo album last year that is so highly reminscent of the stylings of PH that you HAVE to hear it. Astray is one of those albums that takes several plays to even begin to unfold and make sense to you. I can't stop playing it, this guy really is awesome. And of course the Hammill influence makes for enjoyable listening. The closing epic makes me feel like I am listening to In Camera or Silent Corner! An extraordinary work, one of the best albums of last year IMO. Highly recommended!

TRACK LIST:

1. Now 10:00
2. Distracted 7:40
3. Dirty Mind 9:21
4. Another Vision 7:08
5. Some Fear Growing Old 6:56
6. Between Me & the End 5:58
7. Modern Times 21:10

http://www.strungoutrecords.com

Gotta agree with Sal here. Matthew Parmenter is an underrated genius. If you don't have Discipline's "Unfolded Like Staircase," you are missing out on THE prog masterpiece of the last 10 years. "Astray" is an excellent solo release.

Since VDGG is getting back together, maybe there's hope for a Discipline reunion down the road.

TKH

The first Discipline album Push And Profit has some good tracks as well. But yeah, Staircase is an outstanding album. Funny, I used "Canto" in an issue of Prog Wars and it was not well received on this forum.

One day I'll torrent the mpeg I have of Discipline performing at Progday, complete with Matthew in his face paint, drinking beer, and playing beautifully.

ORIGINAL: Salmacis

The first Discipline album Push And Profit has some good tracks as well. But yeah, Staircase is an outstanding album. Funny, I used "Canto" in an issue of Prog Wars and it was not well received on this forum.

One day I'll torrent the mpeg I have of Discipline performing at Progday, complete with Matthew in his face paint, drinking beer, and playing beautifully.

Oh man, that would be great. I had that on video, but somehow my tape was lost when I moved. If your ISP is still giving you crap about your torrenting, I would be happy to seed it for you if you can send it to me via FTP or some other transfer program.

TKH

Well as of tomorrow I can start fresh for the month. My ISP told me that if I "cease massive transfers for the remainder of the month (Feb), that will suffice." - I guess I went a little nuts there, if you look at my EZT profile, I put up about 10 things within 2 weeks and transfered about 80 gigs, which my ISP didn't take kindly to! But I'll move the Discipline show up on the priority list.

Thanks for the heads up! I wondered what happened to this guy.

A couple of us drove to Detroit several years ago to see Present, and Discipline opened. What a show! It was at some weird sports bar that had a stage upstairs...there were MAYBE 20 people in attendance. I believe it was only an $8 cover as well. Why did I leave the tape recorder at home, why?!

A couple of us drove to Detroit several years ago to see Present, and Discipline opened. What a show! It was at some weird sports bar that had a stage upstairs...there were MAYBE 20 people in attendance. I believe it was only an $8 cover as well. Why did I leave the tape recorder at home, why?!

ARGH! One of those moments you kick yourself over. Kind of like, "Why didn't I tape that Rush soundcheck in '97 that I was allowed to sit and listen to?" But actually in the case of Discipline, it is even worse because bootleg material of them is very rare. Anyway, Noware, I strongly recommend Parmenter's solo disc, it is excellent.

Cheers Salmacis. I also have Staircase and love it - gentle prog in the VSGG vein indeed. I always thought the mix was even heavily reminiscent of VDGG, especially the piano. Great CD anyway, I'm particularly fond of Limbo...

In fact, I won a prize in the DPRP poll and this was one of the choice of prizes but I didn't opt for it. However, it may still appear in my letter-box if my choices were requested by others

And what was my choice, well one of these:

2 - IQ20
11 - Inside Out Euro Promo
12 - Neal Morse One

Love in the past is a memory and in the future a fantasy. Only here and now can you truly love.

ORIGINAL: Salmacis

ARGH! One of those moments you kick yourself over. Kind of like, "Why didn't I tape that Rush soundcheck in '97 that I was allowed to sit and listen to?" But actually in the case of Discipline, it is even worse because bootleg material of them is very rare.

Oh, don't pile on or anything. Well shame on both of us, then! All I have are a few emails from Paramenter giving me directions to the show, as well as every CD available for sale that night from both bands.

I certainly will check out his new disc tho.

http://www.strungoutrecords.com/Articles/Parmenter_bio.htm

i run matthew's unofficial official mailing list on yahoogroups...

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/into-the-dream/

matthew parmenter and matthew kennedy are both members of the list. it's quiet, but hopefully with the upcoming nearfest solo showcase, activity will pick up.

i do know that matt and matt are talking about releasing the old live video on dvd at some point.

and i'd love it if you torrented the progday video, sal!

Bill K
@>}-`-`----------------------
'in death's garden all the roses are blue...'

and i'd love it if you torrented the progday video, sal!

For a class act such as yourself? No problem. I'll try and locate it in my archives, and it'll be up (hopefully) within days.

One album I've never been able to track down is Live - Into The Dream, which I'd love to have. Just signed up for the group btw.

and just approved too.



the live album...i assume you've tried the various best known places like m&m music or laser's edge or syn-phonic? i'll admit i haven't checked them either, but hey...what can i say

i do know mp (not mike portnoy in this case) isn't 100% sold on show trading...he's a bit of a perfectionist, and tends to feel that live shows show too many warts, where he'd prefer to see polish. but for those of us who are nutso over the music, we prefer to see and hear the warts as much as the polish...sometimes more!

btw...remember that progday 1995, progday 1998 and the progday encore cd sets include a load of live discipline. material too, including a searing take on when the walls are down!

Bill K
@>}-`-`----------------------
'in death's garden all the roses are blue...'

Just located the mpegs, I have them set to go. One problem though, there are some tracking problems throughout the video (from whoever transfered it from their VHS copy). Does not make it unwatchable, just kinda annoying at first. But this is a great performance. Such a small crowd!

Live album: It's definitely not on Synphonic, although that is where I got the two studio albums. (And about 100 others over the years!) - I doubt Lasers Edge carries it (I did get Faithful Breath's Fading Beauty as well as the Finnforest cd from them though)... m&m music? Not sure I know of that one.

ORIGINAL: Salmacis

Live album: It's definitely not on Synphonic, although that is where I got the two studio albums. (And about 100 others over the years!) - I doubt Lasers Edge carries it (I did get Faithful Breath's Fading Beauty as well as the Finnforest cd from them though)... m&m music? Not sure I know of that one.

buy.

i just checked the following places:

wayside music
m&m music
laser's edge
syn-phonic
the artist shop
doug larson imports

and no one has it. i even checked znr records, who released the live cd, and nothing there.

this looks like a question for matthew parmenter!

Bill K
@>}-`-`----------------------
'in death's garden all the roses are blue...'

I've heard 4 songs from this album, and they're great I must say. Definitely in the Peter Hammill vein, with a slightly more accessible sound.