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Discipline: Captives Of The Wine Dark Sea
Discipline Captives Of The Wine Dark Sea CD Album Review

Discipline: Captives Of The Wine Dark ...

Melodic Progressive Rock
4.5/5.0

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Strung Out Records / Laser's Edge
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 28.06.2017

Iconic, eclectic, and fiercely independent, Detroit's Discipline has been a fixture in the progressive rock scene for 30 years, garnering fans from around the world. But they've also been absent from the studio since 2011's To Shatter All Accord. Now the band returns with their fifth album, Captives Of The Wine Dark Sea.

Discipline Band Photo

Discipline

When you consider a Discipline album, your first consideration is to wonder what's more interesting, vocalist Matthew Parmenter's engaging, yet often cryptic, lyrics or the music that surrounds them. Actually, you don't need to make a choice at all as they are bound together like a spool of baker's twine.

One simple reason for this is that Parmenter's vocals, and so lyrics, follow the melody created by his piano lines and embellished by the rest of the instruments. His voice lights, rises and falls, with the melody in an effortless precision of harmony. Yet the same could be said for the guitar lines, whether riffs or solos, which also sway with the melody inherent in each song. After these things, Discipline song arrangements are further embellished by light complexity and masterful musicianship. It's a perfect storm, really, as the combination of these things gives Captives Of The Wine Dark Sea something of an AOR accessibility.

You might hear that in the songs Life Imitates Art and Love Songs, both of which sound like prop pop songs, if you can get your head around that (not uncommon) concept. The former has notable bounce, groove, and a catchy chorus; the latter twists acoustic guitar with a bright piano line that midway has almost a carnival-like feeling. Even the instrumental The Roaring Game has an infectious and delightful piano presence, further enhanced by a groovy rhythm and sweet guitar lines. Yet more quintessential classic melodic prog comes with the longer closing song Burn The Fire Upon The Rocks. While not diminishing the element of strong melody, the composition is more complex, with parts sounding like a fusion of prog, jazz, and symphonic rock. Suffice to say, Discipline's Captives Of The Wine Dark Sea finds the band in fine form, creating another engaging, entertaining, and somewhat provocative album of melodic progressive rock. Easily recommended.



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The Bottom Line

Discipline's Captives Of The Wine Dark Sea finds the band in fine form, creating another engaging, entertaining, and somewhat provocative album of melodic progressive rock. Easily recommended.

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