XXV

It is nice to know that some of the best things in life still can take a little longer to materialise. In the case of Pallas, we are talking over 25 years which is the span of time it has taken to record and release the official follow-up to their debut album The Sentinel.

Record company politics then meant they were prevented from producing a sequel immediately afterwards: but the idea never went away and started becoming a reality again about 18 months ago. And amen to that, because despite the chasm in time, XXV is an absolute leviathan of an album.

The original theme of trouble in Atlantis has moved on 25,000 years but little has changed in the world in terms of the conflict which is still rife. The whole tone of the album reflects this continuing turmoil with crashing guitar riffs, rumbling bass and drums, and a huge array of thundering keyboard effects, splashed with delicate piano, aquasonics and moog symphonics.

There is an ongoing narration throughout the 11 blistering tracks, opening with the juggernaut Falling Down, one of the best curtain-raisers heard in many a year. Crash and Burn continues the chaos segueing into dreamy, watery Something In the Deep.

There are some epic almost rock operatic pieces such as The Alien Messiah and Sacrifice, and also some beautiful atmospheric tracks like The Violet Sky. However, the pivotal piece is the moody and magnificent Monster, which really demonstrates how the band has gelled with new singer Paul Mackie, whose vocals both burn and brood within the brilliant production.

If ever there was an album worth waiting for, then XXV is it. A hard act for any other band to follow albumwise in 2011.