Armageddon In Song
Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 03/02/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I have to laugh when I look at the amazon sales ranking of The Sentinel and think of all the utter garbage that outsells it! There is definitely a failure to promote at least partially at fault!
Though I have other works by Pallas, I was unaware of this obscure gem until I saw it in the box sets at a favorite Encinitas record store. Since I am a fan of the Artwork Collector's Series of prog albums issued by InsideOut Records, I grabbed this right away. When I got home, I eagerly put it in expecting something great and that's mostly what I got.
Apparently, The Sentinel was written as a concept album about the end of the world, kind of bringing the listener Armageddon in song. This was originally issued at a time when a nuclear holocaust was arguably more likely than it is today. The music here is mostly excellent, but it takes a good reading of the well-written lyrics in the handsome booklet that accompanies this disc to really appreciate the musical picture Pallas is painting.
The Sentinel has a much stronger prog flavor than some other of their CDs I own. If you haven't heard this CD yet, my best way of describing the music is to say it is somewhat evocative of Marillion.
My favorites here are: Shock Treatment, which is more rock than prog; Eastwest; Rise and Fall Pt 2; Heart Attack; and Ark of Infinity. The only song I really do not like is the corporate-rock sounding Arrive Alive. It sounds really out of place here.
If you missed out on The Sentinel when it was originally issued, here's your chance to get what is a very decent piece of work. I highly recommend that you get the Artwork Collector's Series box set. Its worth the measly extra couple of dollars."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1