PALLAS: XXV (PROGRESSIVE ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

If there's one band that can hardly be blamed for the frenzy of record releases, it's definitely Pallas, since after 30 years of existence we only have their sixth studio album, soberly entitled XXV. What is less sober, however, is the mini-hurricane that devastated the band last year, since the original singer, Alan Reed, was simply fired from the band, due to a lack of involvement, replaced by Paul Mackie, known for having worked on the sound of the video game Grand Theft Auto. And just to set the bar a little higher, the band announces that XXV is the sequel to The Sentinel, the first album containing the most progressive track written so far by the Scots.

The previous opus, The Dreams Of Men, had seen Pallas taking a metallic orientation, a bit too much for some ears. XXV continues on the same basis, with Falling Down, presented as the link with The Sentinel: huge sounds of keyboards filling the air, a roaring and twirling bass, strident guitars, the scene is set. Above this sonic maelstrom, the newcomer's voice appears somewhat dull, but this effect will only be temporary in the end. Crash And Burn pushes the metallic side a bit more, with fiery guitar solos, but already some moments of respite are offered to the ears at the limit of saturation. Whereas the previous album left little room for calmer passages, this new opus takes up the recipes that have worked so well in Pallas in the past. Some heavy stuff, but with a lot of quieter alternations, both inside the most upbeat tracks and in the form of whole tracks, like the superb Something In The Deep, but also the failed Violet Sky which falls down like a soufflé despite a promising introduction (Blackwood).

Dominating with all their emphasis and excessiveness, the two parts of XXV come to demonstrate, if need be, that Pallas masters pompous progressive rock (pretentious some would say!); power, melodic inspiration and neat symphonic accompaniment, the band is always able to produce little jewels.
- Official website

PALLAS

XXV

MASCOT LABEL GROUP

PROGRESSIVE ROCK