Niall
Originally this track started life entitled “Piano anticipation” which was just a musical doodle I had been toying with for a while really but we thought it had potential and it is now one of my favorite tracks.
I get to go mad on the guitar at the end…which is nice.
Ronnie
Controlled mayhem. Love it. The basic idea was so good that it was difficult for us to stop writing it and call it finished.
This piece could have resulted in infinite outcomes, each as satisfying as the next.
Colin
The intro is manic, from the staccato beginning to the next section where it sounds like the drums are falling down the stairs!
Then follows a nice bass, drums and guitar groove. Then into the mad end section with triplet patterns and developed onto Double kicks. Listen out for the keyboard dog barks…”bark”, “bark”, “bark” over the end section
Graeme
Let’s face it you want an album to start with a bang!
We set out to write an opener for XXV, that would give a new listener to Pallas’ music and idea of what the band is all about.
We also wanted to give longstanding Pallas fans a taste of what the album would be all about.
We started off trying to write an orchestral overture utilising familiar chords from the Sentinel album, so that the experienced listener would instantly feel himself being drawn back into the world we created on the Sentinel album.
Those of you who caught some of the live shows last year, where we were previewing some new material will recognise that the opening section was changed whilst we were in the studio. We felt whilst performing Falling Down live, that the opening sequence wasn’t quite “kick ass “enough.
I think the changes we made in the studio have achieved what we wanted, namely to get the hairs on the back of the listeners neck standing on end, with a truly exciting opening to the album.
Thereafter I think this song gives Paul a great introduction, followed by some first-class rocking Prog where every member of the band gets to show off a little.
Paul
I was unsure on Crash and Burn at first but Greame was all the way with this track, I sat back on it and let the Chaps pull it together. Just as well as it certainly establishes the album by the end of the first chorus.
Instead of the second verse having lyrics we went with Niall’s guitar hook dancing around and deserving of the space it occupies.
Then more mayhem is let loose with very literal lyrics giving all you need to understand what is taking place in the story line of XXV.
Lyrics
Talk all we do is talk
All we do is scream, scream
Peace, we dream of peace
But it’s impossible
Learn, we never seem to learn
How can we always get it so wrong
We’re living in hope
One day we’ll all join as one….
Five miles high in a sanctuary sky
The shakers and movers conduct their manoeuvres
Like Gods on Olympus so safe in this place….
The dove hunts the eagle
Unseen, up on high, from an alien sky
Like a flash of blue lightning
A power that is frightening
To cut off his head with just one single blow……….
The dove takes the eagle