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: : The Dreams Of Men : :
Pallas’ latest album
The Dreams Of Men is somewhat similar in style and content to their
previous studio album, The Cross And The Crucible. I think it also
raises the bar for Pallas and will come to be regarded as one of the
best of their career.
Bringer of Dreams deals with humanity’s penchant for worshipping gods
and needing their dreams fulfilled. It begins with gentle strings,
giving way to some wonderfully fluid guitar work from Niall Mathewson
and then the whole band kick in with one hell of a bang. Graeme Murray’s
bass and Colin Fraser’s drums are well to the fore here. Oh, and there
are a few cheeky little nods to Rush, with a bit of a Zeppelin feel to
it as well. It’s an epic but very compelling song, a great start to
the album.
Warriors asks the question of why we fight, and what makes people commit
unspeakable acts of terror. It has a terrific Steve Howe/Sound Chaser
style guitar intro from Niall, and is a reasonably fast-paced rocker
with a great chorus and a driving rhythm.
Ghost Dancers is a paean to the Irish immigrants who first came to
America, and starts with evocative violin and strings, and fittingly has
a distinct Celtic flavour. Alan Reed's superb vocals perfectly capture
the sense of wonder and eventual disappointment that those early
settlers must have felt. It’s one of those songs where I found myself
able to imagine myself standing in the middle of a crowded venue at the
next live gig singing along with the crowd.
Too Close To The Sun questions whether man should be tampering with
nature in his quest for knowledge, and warns that his reach should not
exceed his grasp. A bouncy, almost funky bassline carries it along, and
Ronnie Brown gets a chance to shine, especially during a wonderful
mid-section instrumental. Great vocal harmony work here too, Graeme
Murray in particular I have always thought has a particularly fine
voice. A fine guitar solo from Niall brings the song to a rousing
climax.
Messiah is probably my favourite track on the album so far – a stinging
attack on false prophets/politicians (or are they one and the same?). It
has a great Squire-like, stalking bassline from Graeme, and is sung with
real passion by Alan. I love the “Land Of Hope and Glory” section,
replete with a heavy dose of irony, and Nialls’s Rabin-like guitar work.
A terrific number, and the use of female backing singers on the outro is
a very nice touch.
Northern Star is a short, gentle but very appealing guitar-driven piece
that shows Niall’s ability for subtlety. Definitely not just a filler
track.
Mr. Wolfe is the only track so far I have not quite managed to get to
grips with. It deals with faceless, corporate moneymen and just seems to
come across as a standard rocker with some predictable, clichéd lyrics.
Mind you it does have a wonderfully intricate bassline from Graeme, who
also contributes some great vocals. It is a listenable track – it just
does not seem to stand out very much for me. Perhaps live it will have
more impact.
Invincible is very much a high point of the album, and lyrically for me
one of the strongest with it’s nod to Floyd's “Another Brick In the
Wall”, with even Graham’s backing vocals sounding very much like Roger
Waters. The lyrics deal with the notion of the dreams a lot of us had
when we were young and what we planned to do, only to end up stuck in 9
– 5 jobs and living a life of boredom and routine. Musically it’s
superb, one of the best tracks on the album – It has an instrumental
break in the middle that really rocks, and the interplay between
Graeme’s bass and Colin’s drums is sublime.
Closing track The Last Angel reminds me very much of Gabriel’s Biko in
the opening section, and has that same sense of melancholy. It tells the
tale of an angel lamenting the fate of mankind and what we have become.
Alan’s vocal on this section is quite simply one of the best things he
has ever done; he performs it like it was the song he was born to sing.
A magisterial epic in every sense of the word, helped along by Ronnie’s
pipe-organ sounds and rounded off with the help of some female operatic
vocals.
Now, I can see that perhaps some Pallas fans may yearn for the shorter,
simpler, rockier tracks of old, and the band are taking a few chances
and experimenting here – but I think people that have followed and
stayed with the band through to the previous album should really get a
kick out of this, because it’s simply a logical progression of where the
band have been heading up to now. Some fans may have a problem with a
few of the minimalist musical passages in the longer tracks, but it’s
all about light and shade, contrast – you cannot beat people over the
head with endless guitar/keyboard solo’s, there has to be variation.
I will also say that it sounds absolutely superb – a great production
job with all instruments and voices sounding crystal clear. And does it
rock or what? When bass and drums kick in it really has a hard edge to
it that reminds you of the best of Zeppelin.
I believe it’s one of the best if not the best album Pallas have made.
Rating: 9.50
Reviewed by John Morley
: : Visit the Artist’s Website : :
: : Discography : :
Arrive Alive -
1981
The Sentinel - 1984
The Wedge - 1986
Knight Moves To Wedge - 1986
Beat the Drum - 1998
Live our Lives - 2000
The Cross And The Crucible - 2001
Mythopoeia - 2002
The Blinding Darkness - 2003
The Blinding Darkness (DVD) - 2003
The Dreams Of Men - 2005 |
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