Matthew Parmenter – Astray

Matthew Parmenter is known for his narrative songwriting and costumed performances as leader and front-man of Discipline, earning him the title of the American Peter Hammill. “Astray”, the first album under his own name, is decidedly psychedelic in atmosphere and striking in its early 1970s British vibe. Parmenter’s voice is smoother than Hammill’s, and “Astray” is much more of a progressive rock album than nearly any Hammill solo album. Parmenter was the main creative force in Discipline and came to dominate the band more and more, so in most important respects, this is the third Discipline studio album. Parmenter shows he is quite capable of handling the guitar and drums in addition to all the instruments he covered in Discipline. Discipline bassist Mathew Kennedy appears throughout the album, the sole guest musician. Parmenter is modestly credited with “vocals, et cetera”, which includes piano, guitar, drums, saxophone, violin, organ, synthesizers, marimba, Theremin, and Mellotron. While Van der Graaf Generator is the dominant influence, especially on the magnificent 21-minute finale “Modern Times”, there is also a substantial Pink Floyd influence as well as King Crimson circa 1973.