THE SENTINEL

Pallas is a progressive rock band from Aberdeen, formed in either 1977 or 1980 (with information on this varying from source to source), that has since become one of the more interesting acts of the 80s revival in this genre of music. Releasing their debut album 'The Sentinel' in 1984, their history up to that point reminisces a bit of Rush's, who were formed in 1968 but released their first studio record in 1974; What is more interesting, is that the comparisons to the Canadian trio would not halt here - in fact, the musical similarities are also pretty prevalent on that very first LP.

The six songs comprising the album are a combination of more straightforward hard-rocking numbers, that were certainly the band's attempt of gaining a larger exposure and potential commercial success, and more epic-like compositions, inspired by the late 70s Genesis records and certainly the early Rush ones from the 80s. The opener 'Eyes in the Night (Arrive Alive)' is a song of the first kind, a very memorable and upbeat 'banger' that presents Pallas as a powerful and energetic band, setting a dynamic pace for the rest of the album. This is followed by another more mainstream-oriented song, 'Cut and Run', and then the 10-minute epic 'Rise and Fall' - almost like something that has come out of 'Wind and Wuthering', this song is a good sign that this band is capable of writing longer songs that are also captivating. Opening side two is the fantastic 'Shock Treatment' that leads to 'Ark of Infinity', a guitar-oriented piece that could be classified as an exemplary neo-prog. Finally, the album is closed by the 8-minute 'Atlantis' - part of a larger suite that has been played live at the band's early shows - an epic album closer that sounds like a healthy blend of all the rest that came before it.

Something interesting about this record is the fact that there are arguably three versions of it - the first one which was essentially what the band wanted to release, featuring the songs 'Eastwest', 'March on Atlantis' and 'Heart Attack' that obviously didn't make it; the second one, which is the 39-minute LP featuring the six songs already mentioned; and the third one being the almost one-hour version on the 1992 re-issue, that features all the songs from the previous two versions. 'The Sentinel' is also a concept album about the Cold War, with the themes presented through the prism of the tale of Atlantis - an interesting way to present such a serious theme.

The whole band is really performing very well on this album - Euan Lowson on vocals, Niall Mathewson on lead guitars, Ronnie Brown on synths, Graeme Murray on bass, and Derek Forman on drums - memorable riffs and good control of each one's instrument, 'The Sentinel' is equally epic and balanced, and above all, one of the really excellent albums of the 80s neo-prog scene.