Afterglow 14 (early 1984), page 4
Warlords Of Atlantis
Pallas - The Sentinel (SHSP 2400121)
The crystalline domes reach for the sky, as airships fly to the west. Patrick Woodroffe has certainly captured the Atlantis epic beautifully on the cover of Pallas' album The Sentinel, although as one might expect from the cover, this is not a concept album, a semi-concept album. Based I assume on the lost city of Atlantis, all the legends and fantasies of that world flood out on Rise And Fall, Ark Of Infinity, Atlantis. Enough to make you run to your bookcase and thumb through the dog-eared pages of Jules Verne novels, like 20,000 Leagues, Mysterious Island, or gaze at the visual artistry of Frank Frazetta or Boris Vallejo fantasy art books.
Pallas the masterful musicians journey through to Atlantis with excellent instrumentation. No denying the skills of Ronnie Brown's multi-layered keyboards and Niall Mathewson's soloing. Derek Forman meanwhile, holds the entire structure with thunderous and precision drumming.
Euan Lowson and Graeme Murray on the vocal front, harmonize beautifully, particularly on Atlantis and Ark Of Infinity.
The none-Atlantis thematic songs Eyes In The Night (Arrive Alive), Cut And Run, Shock Treatment, are more rocky and perhaps more single orientated fodder, as both Eyes In The Night and Shock Treatment have been available on single here. Eyes In The Night seems to have an American MOR feel to it, although I suspect the radios and record shops have banished all copies to heavy metal sections, without hearing a note! As the LP was recorded in America, Atlanta, even! The American sound must have influenced the band, but apart from Eyes In The Night, no other strong influences show. Shades of Rush's 2112 echo here and there; Rush are Canadian though!
In comparison to other progrock albums released this year, particularly from Marillion and Twelfth Night for instance, it's plain to see that Pallas come across as the Seventies band in the Eighties. The fantasy related lyric, the keyboard dominated music pidgeon-hole Pallas with both wings, giving the two-fingered salute.
Pallas I'm sure are aware that they have to change in time. The Sentinel has excellent moments, and I for one can take the fantasies, however twee or pretentious, in very large colourful doses. "Beam Me Up Scottie"!!
Russel Morgan