THE SENTINEL

The Sentinel, the debut release by Scottish neo-prog group PALLAS, is a concept album that focuses on war as its central theme. Which is apt, as it is one of the those albums that I've listened to for quite a while and have fought and struggled to enjoy as much as I do.

The album has its fair share of redeeming features, from the fantastical cover art by Patrick Woodroffe, impeccable musicianship from the members of PALLAS and the seriously cool allegorical concept of the "Atlantis Suite", several tracks from the album that depict the Cold War by painting a spellbinding tale of the fictional Atlantis. Unfortunately, what springs from a seemingly perfect album to hail in the hall of prog legends for all eternity are a whole bunch of (largely record company-based) slip-ups that really diminish from its overall quality.

The album's "poppy"-er tracks, added at the request of the record company, add about 14 minutes of filler material that I have never had trouble skipping. And then the Atlantis Suite itself is a concept better imagined than executed. The more rock-oriented "Rise And Fall" is the sole track that keeps my interest every time; while the others are certainly not bad material and are great displays of the band's talents, I've simply never been particularly moved by them. The production, by Eddy Offord of Yes and ELP fame, is also nothing to write home about and sounds quite weak given the immense scale of the musical and lyrical content.

Having said that, this album is quite historically significant and if you are a fan of neo-prog, it's definitely worth a listen or many.