THE SENTINEL

I ve just discovered Pallas and especially The Sentinel, so 25 years after its release. It's clearly neoprog in the same vein of Marillion or IQ but less inspired from Genesis. The main influences here are clearly ELP with typical synthesizer sound you can find on Emerson LAke and Powell. Some songs sounds really 80s with basslines and production near from Duran Duran or new wave bands. This 80s touch adds some charm after all these years to my mind. The atmosphere is quite dark and singing agressive (Arrive Alive) with robotic vocoder which kraftwerk would have appreciated. Not everything is un forgettable, above all the opening track which is really weak but everything is well played and the production is untypical in the world of prog (drum and bass are on the front and with precise and powerful restitution). A good value for neo prog fans surely and deserves a try for the others. 3,5 stars