Pallas - The Sentinel


Year of Release: 2000
Label: InsideOut
Catalog Number: IOMCD 058 SPV 085-31992
Format: CD
Total Time: 57:47:00

I remember buying this album (yes, album) back in 1984-85 when I was introduced to the world of progressive music by a friend and my future bandmate. At the time, Marillion was the band that was introducing me to this music that we love. I had read as much as I could about progressive bands and remembered reading about Pallas from a Marillion article. Well, I found this album, and bought it, and honestly I think it was the only time I ever saw it in a record store. I was immediately blow away by the album art, which is terrific. I remember listening over and over to this record and being blown away by the epics, the sci-fi feel. It just all fell into place for me back then. When I saw it re-issued on CD with a few extra tracks ("Rise and Fall Pt.2," "East And West," "March On Atlantis" & "Heart Attack" were not on the original EMI release), and being put in the proper track order, nostalgia kicked in and I had to have it.

The liner notes indicate that the band was working on The Sentinel as a concept record that reflected the doom of mankind while using the myth of Atlantis as a backdrop. Today, I am not as big a fan of the 80?s neo movement as I once was, but I do still enjoy this disc. Pallas showed some balls on this record with tracks like "Shock Treatment," "Cut And Run" (with its James Bond theme keyboard solo) and "Arrive Alive." But for me the two killer tracks are "Atlantis" and "Ark Of Infinity." These two tracks really build up to great endings. I thought it was interesting that in the liner notes the keyboardist Ronnie Brown lists a Novatron in his arsenal of boards. I wonder if this was used in place of a mellotron, and if it was the sounds are pretty good to my ear. But this is a must have for any progressive fan who loved the neo movement of the eighties.

I ended up losing track of this band. I believe The Sentinel ended up being the bands only major label release. Even with the great artwork, getting to work with a famous producer (Eddy Offord ? Yes), the band just never got the breaks. Their lead singer at the time, Euan Lowson, left and the band may have just had difficulty keeping things together. But, as all us NEARFest fans know, Pallas is alive and well, continuing to release music and will be appearing at this year?s festival. Hopefully we will get to hear a few tracks from this record.


Tracklisting:
Shock Treatment (4:30) / Cut And Run (5:03) / Arrive Alive (4:09) / Rise And Fall (Pt. 1) (6:08) / EastWest (5:01) / March On Atlantis (5:23) / Rise And Fall (pt.2) (4:05) / Heart Attack (8:00) / Atlantis (8:07) / Ark Of Infinity (7:08)

Musicians:
Euan Lowson - vocals
Graeme Murray - bass, bass pedals, backing vocals
Ronnie Brown - keyboards and backing vocals
Niall Mathewson - guitar, guitar synth, and backing vocals
Derek Forman - drums and vocals

Discography:
Arrive Alive (1981)
The Sentinel (1984/2000)
The Knightmoves EP (1985)
The Wedge (1986/2000)
Knightmoves To Wedge (combo reissue) (1986)
Sketches (1989)
Beat The Drum (1999)
Live Our Lives (2000)
The Cross And The Crucible (2001)
Mythopoeia (2002)
Blinding Darkness (2003)
The Dreams Of Men (2005)
The River Sessions 1 (2005)
The River Sessons 2 (2005)
Official Bootleg 27.01.06 (2006)
Moment To Moment (2009)
XXV (2011)
Live At Loreley (2013)
The Sentinel Demos (2013)
The Sentinel Rought Mixes (2013)
The Arrive Alive Demos (2013)
The Knight Moves Demos (2013)
Live - Southampton 1986 (2013)
Wearewhoweare (2014)
Courage - And Other Songs Of War And Peace (2018)

The Blinding Darkness (DVD) (2003)
Live From London (DVD) (2005)
Moment To Moment (DVD) (2008)
Live At Loreley II (DVD) (2013)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin UK

Added: December 1st 2003
Reviewer: Eric Porter

Artist website: www.pallasofficial.com
Hits: 2524
Language: english

  

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