Pallas are a Scottish progressive rock band from Aberdeen. They were one of the bands at the vanguard of what was termed neo-prog during progressive rock's second-wave revival in the early 1980s. Other major UK acts included Marillion, IQ, Twelfth Night, Pendragon and Solstice.

History

Formed in 1974 as 'Rainbow', they dropped the name after Ritchie Blackmore left Deep Purple and called his new band Rainbow. Pallas began hitting the club circuit at the beginning of a grassroots revival of full-blown progressive rock, which, at the time, was extremely unfashionable due to the overwhelming influence of pop and new wave. The plan was that The Sentinel would be a recorded version of The Atlantis Suite, an epic centrepiece of the band's live performances at the time based around a futuristic version of the story of Atlantis, with plenty of references to the Cold War.

In order to increase the commercial potential of the group's major label debut the running order was changed, adding more commercial songs and removing much of the Atlantis Suite material. The excised Atlantis Suite tracks were issued as B-sides on singles at the time of the album's release, and in 2004 a remastered version of the album was released with the Atlantis Suite intact as the band intended it.

Some elaborately staged shows in the UK (using The Sentinel concept as the theme, and featuring props by the special effects team from Doctor Who) failed to generate the needed interest, and by the time the band was ready to record their second album for EMI, Lowson decided to leave the band. (cf. Abel Gance). The centre-piece of the EP was the epic "Sanctuary", and early editions of the EP also included a bonus 7" featuring two tracks recorded as demos.

The band went on to record a second EMI album, The Wedge. Their half-an-hour set largely contained material from 'XXV', plus the song 'Eyes in the Night (Arrive Alive)'. Concert Live recorded the performance.

On 30 November 2013, Pallas played a full gig in Glasgow. The set contained not only known songs from the past albums, but also featured two new ones from the album Wearewhoweare, scheduled for release in 2014. At the end of the set, former frontman Euan Lowson appeared on stage for two songs.

In June 2018, Graeme Murray, posting from the band's Facebook account, stated: "I think there has been a long enough silence on the PALLAS front. The band I suppose is not DEAD, as we are all still alive, just not necessarily on the same continent, or wavelength. BUT not totally dead. Lets just say "in a state of suspended animation". the patient may come back to life!!!"

In December 2023 Pallas released new album The Messenger with returning singer Alan Reed replacing Paul Mackie.

Members

;Current members

  • Graeme Murray — bass, backing vocals, guitars, bass pedals <small>(1976–present)</small>
  • Niall Mathewson — guitars, guitar synthesizer, synthesizer, occasional backing vocals <small>(1979–present)</small>
  • Ronnie Brown — keyboards, backing vocals <small>(1979–1986, 1996–present)</small>
  • Alan Reed — lead vocals <small>(1986–1988, 1993-2010, 2022–present)</small>
  • Colin Fraser — drums <small>(1998–present)</small>

;Former members

  • Brian Wood — lead vocals <small>(1976–1979)</small>
  • Dave Holt — guitar <small>(1976–1979)</small>
  • Mike Stobbie — keyboards <small>(1976–1979, 1987–1996)</small>
  • Derek Forman — drums, occasional backing vocals <small>(1976–1998)</small>
  • Euan Lowson — lead vocals <small>(1979–1986)</small>
  • Paul Mackie — lead vocals <small>(2010–2022)</small>

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums

  • The Sentinel (1984) UK No.&nbsp;41
  • The Wedge (1986) UK No.&nbsp;70
  • Beat the Drum (1999)
  • The Cross & the Crucible (2001)
  • The Dreams of Men (2005)
  • XXV (2011)
  • Wearewhoweare (2014)
  • The Messenger (2023)

Compilation albums

  • Sketches () – cassette release only
  • Knightmoves to Wedge (1992) – re-release of The Wedge with tracks from Knightmoves 12" single interspersed; this was later withdrawn in favour of a remastered edition of The Wedge with the Knightmoves tracks added at the end
  • Mythopoeia (2002)
  • The Sentinel Demos (2009) – download-only release from the band's homepage
  • The Edge Of Time (2019) - collection of 2019 re-recordings of songs from Pallas' back catalogue. Initially available from the band's Bandcamp page.

Live albums

  • Arrive Alive (1981) – initially a cassette-only release, then re-released on vinyl in 1983 with a different cover and slightly different track list; again re-released in 1998 on CD with tracks of the Paris Is Burning single added
  • Live in Southampton (1986) – cassette only fanclub release
  • Live our Lives – 2000 (2000)
  • The Blinding Darkness (15 September 2003)
  • The River Sessions 1 (2005)
  • The River Sessions 2 (2005)
  • Live From London 1985 (2005)
  • Official Bootleg 27/01/06 (2006)
  • Moment to Moment (2008)
  • Live At Lorelei (14 February 2012) – MP3-CD and DVD

Radio session

Pallas did a live-in-studio recording for the Friday Rock Show on 9 March 1984. The tracks they recorded were Cut and Run, Shock Treatment and a Rise and Fall/Heart Attack medley. The tracks were broadcast on 30 March 1984. The tracks are commercially available on a download version of The Sentinel distributed through Amazon in certain territories i.e. the UK.

Archives series

To coincide with the revamp of their homepage in August 2013, Pallas re-released a number of out-of-print and archive releases under the Archives Series moniker. These releases include the following:

  • Studio recordings: The Pallas EP ‡
  • Compilations: Sketches ‡, Knightmoves – an album that never was – both releases have been partly available before on the Mythopoeia compilation.
  • Archive Demos: The Arrive Alive Demos (partly available before on the Mythopoeia compilation), The Sentinel Demos, The Sentinel Rough Mix
  • Live albums: Live in Southampton ‡, Live our Lives

‡ – indicates an official digital re-release for the first time

Singles (UK releases)

  • § indicates a non-album studio track at the time of the initial release. At present (2011), only the two Alan Reed demo tracks and the extended remix of Throwing Stones at the Wind remain exclusive to the initial vinyl release.
  • "Arrive Alive" (1982) – 7"
  • "Arrive Alive", "Stranger on the Edge of Time" §
  • the single was released with two different images on front of the sleeve
  • "Paris is Burning" (1983) – 7" – 12"
  • "Paris is Burning" §, "The Hammer Falls" §, "Stranger on the Edge of Time" § (on 12" only)
  • "Eyes In The Night" (1984) – 7" – 7" picture disc – 12"
  • "Eyes in the Night", "East West" §, "Crown of Thorns" § (on 12" only)
  • "Shock Treatment" (1984) – 7" – 7" poster sleeve – 12"
  • "Shock Treatment", "March On Atlantis" §, "Heart Attack" § (on 12" only)
  • "Knightmoves" (1985) – 7" – 12" – 12" picture disc – 12" with bonus 7"
  • "Strangers" §, "Nightmare" §, "Sanctuary" § (on 12" only)
  • initial copies contain bonus 7" single with the 'Alan Reed Demo' tracks "Mad Machine" § and "A Stitch in Time" §, which are band compositions used as auditioning tracks when Alan Reed came up for the vocalist job.
  • "Throwing Stones at the Wind" (1986) – 7" – 12"
  • "Throwing Stones at the Wind" (extended mix) §, "Cut and Run" (live version), "Crown of Thorns" (live version; on 12" only)
  • "Monster" (radio edit) (2010) – download only single from the band's homepage; full version on the album XXV.
  • "Atlantean" (2011) – download only single from the band's homepage; non-album track. This instrumental track is used as the intro on the 2011 tour, meant as a prelude to the opening track of XXV, "Falling Down".
  • "Black Moon" (December 2011) – download only single from the band's homepage as a Christmas gift to the fans. This track was recorded in March 2010 shortly after Paul Mackie joined the band. The song was originally recorded by Emerson, Lake & Palmer for their 1994 album Black Moon. Pallas was asked to contribute to a planned ELP tribute compilation in spring of 2010, but the project folded prior to realisation, due to business issues. So the band shelved the track without initial intention of release.
  • "Monster (Big Band Version)" (6 January 2012) – download only single from the band's homepage. This was the result of a little experimental excursion on several tracks from the XXV album that took place in the fall of 2011.
  • "XXV Mega-mix" (15 February 2012) – bonus track on the Live At Lorelei CD and also available as a free download from the band's homepage. Orchestral re-arrangement of the album track laid out as a medley of "Alien Messiah", "XXV Part I" and "XXV Part II" with 11+ mins. of playing time. Several British prog / rock magazines featured the track on their magazine's freebie CD.
  • "Something In The Deep (Karaoke Mix)" (10 May 2013) – download only release from the band's section on Bandcamp.com.

Other singles

Some of the regular singles have seen releases in other territories such as Germany or the United States. This section is for releases unique to territories outside UK.

  • "Eyes In The Night" / "Shock Treatment" Spanish promo single (1984) – 7"
  • black and white picture sleeve, Spanish titles on the label and the cover (EMI P-040)

EPs

  • PALLAS EP a.k.a. Sue-I-Cide EP (1978) – debut recording privately released in February 1978 on the mini label Sue-I-Cide from Aberdeen. Manufactured in a quantity of 1,000 items of which around 700 were sold at gigs. The tracks comprised Reds under the Beds, Wilmot (Dove House), Thought Police and C.U.UK which are all exclusive to this release. Comes in a plain white paper sleeve with a name/logo stamp in one corner.

Unlike the later releases this debut effort features a totally different musical style. Whereas Pallas has been compared with their contemporary competitors Marillion regularly, this EP is more in the verve of early material by The Police.

  • Complimentary Tape 25/04/98 (1998) – given out to fans who wanted to attend Pallas' gig on 25 April 1998 at the Day of Dreams festival at the Hedon club in Zwolle that was cancelled on short notice, as a compensation for the inconvenience caused. The blank tape contains demo versions of "Beat The Drum" and "Blood And Roses" from the then-to-be-released album, Beat The Drum, plus an alternate take of "Refugee" from the never released Voices In The Dark album. Due to the circumstances of its existence this tape is – apart from the 1978 Sui-I-Cide EP – the most scarce item in Pallas' discography. The tape was re-issued in 2003 with a different J-card design and called PALLAS Sampler Tape. The three tracks saw a broader release through the Mythopoeia compilation in 2000.

Compilation appearances

  • SI Magazine: Compilation Disc (1991) – CD
  • Pallas contributed "War Of Words" from the unreleased Voices In The Dark album to this compilation of the Dutch progressive rock magazine SI.
  • SI Magazine: Compilation Disc (1993) – CD
  • Pallas contributed "Never Too Late" from the unreleased Voices In The Dark album to this compilation of the Dutch progressive rock magazine SI.

Both aforementioned tracks saw a re-release on the Mythopoeia compilation in 2000.

  • Mannerisms – A Celebration of the Music of Geoff Mann (1994) – CD
  • Pallas contributed "What In The World" to this tribute compilation to the work of the late neo-prog artist Geoff Mann, who died the previous year. Other notable bands on the album include IQ, Galahad, Pendragon, Jadis, Eden Burning, and Mann's own band Twelfth Night.
  • In addition, Alan Reed, the Pallas vocalist, collaborated with Clive Nolan (Pendragon, Arena) on another track on the compilation, "Love Song".

References

  • Official website
  • Comprehensive discography with track lists and cover images
  • Detailed Mythopoeia track list
  • Highvoltagefestival.com
  • Concertlive.co.uk