1. Pallas is a progressive… Read Full Bio ↴There are more than 1 band called Pallas:
1. Pallas is a progressive rock band from Scotland. They were one of the bands at the vanguard of what was termed neo-progressive during progressive rock's second-wave revival in the early 1980s (other major acts included Marillion, IQ, Twelfth Night, and Pendragon).
After releasing a self-produced LP entitled Arrive Alive (recorded in Scotland in 1981), Pallas was courted by EMI records (who had just signed contemporaries Marillion) and thrust into the studio with none other than Yes / Emerson, Lake & Palmer producer Eddie Offord to record the LP that would become The Sentinel.
All this boded well for Pallas, but EMI's initial interest in the band waned (EMI perhaps feeling that Marillion had the better potential for mass-market success, and the market may not sustain both bands), as did Offord's enthusiasm for producing the album properly, and when The Sentinel was released in 1984, it was regarded as a compromised affair by all involved (despite sporting what was widely regarded as one of the genre's most beautiful covers ever, illustrated by Patrick Woodroffe). Original singer, Euan Lowson left the band shortly after release.
Pallas recruited new singer, Alan Reed, recruited from Scottish contemporaries Abel Ganz, to mixed success in the late 80's, recording The Knightmoves EP (1985) - featuring the epic "Sanctuary" - and album The Wedge the following year. Disagreements led to the band quitting EMI in 1987, and despite sporadic attempts the band effectively faded from view.
Eleven years later - much to everyone's surprise - the band reappeared with the album Beat The Drum. Now signed to Germany's specialist prog label, Inside Out, there was also a tentative return to live work. Good reviews and a regular revenue stream meant a regular flow of material. 2001 saw the release of The Cross & The Crucible, which heralded a return to more progressive stylings as well as a taste for the gothic. A live DVD/CD package The Blinding Darkness in 2003 served as an effective "greatest hits" collection, and included a surprise guest appearance by original singer, Lowson.
2005 saw the release of The Dreams Of Men, a harder-edged yet still more complex work that rates among the band's best. Hardly the most prolific of bands, they continue to write and perform regularly.
2. Pallas are a post-punk / noise band from Minneapolis, MN
https://dropmedium.bandcamp.com/album/12
Heart Attack
Pallas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In this manufactured heart attack
They have done their politicians' will
Ten thousand years on, they'll be lying still
Help me find a way out
Hear all our restless spirits shout
Turning around I see a new age dawn
Tracer bullets lightning up the sky
A soldiers' duty is to die
Night times descended on this mushroom cloud
Our days have ended in a chlorine shroud
Help me find a way out
Hear all our restless spirits shout
Turning around I see a new age dawn
And I look on
Climbing, our spirits they rise above the battlefield
They're beating their lives now
In a different time
Am I in heaven or in hell?
Well, personally, I can't tell
Oh, no, I can't tell
Gliding, our spirits they soar
Across the battlefield
They're joining together now as one mind
Am I in heaven or in hell?
Well, personally, I don't care
Oh, no, I don't care
Beam me up [x6]
Beam, oh, please, beam me up, beam me up
Rising our spirits they glide
Above the battlefield
They're reaching up to a higher mind
The song "Heart Attack" by Pallas delves into the darker side of politics and war. The opening line "Dead friends lying back to back" sets the tone for the rest of the song, painting a bleak picture of the aftermath of war. The phrase "manufactured heart attack" suggests that the war is not a natural disaster, but rather a man-made tragedy, likely caused by political agendas. The lyrics go on to criticize politicians, painting them as uncaring and willing to sacrifice thousands of lives for their own gain.
The second verse takes the listener deeper into the horrors of war, with descriptions of tracer bullets lighting up the sky and a mushroom cloud descending on the battlefield. The line "Our days have ended in a chlorine shroud" is particularly haunting, painting a picture of soldiers dying in a poisonous gas attack. Despite the bleakness of the imagery, the song also includes a message of hope. The chorus repeatedly asks for help in finding a way out and hearing the spirits shout, suggesting that there is a way to rise above the darkness and find a new path forward.
Overall, "Heart Attack" is a powerful commentary on the cost of war and the responsibility of those in power to make ethical decisions. It is a song that encourages listeners to think critically about political decisions and hold leaders accountable for their actions.
Line by Line Meaning
Dead friends lying back to back
Deceased comrades lie beside each other
In this manufactured heart attack
This destruction was pre-planned by powerful forces
They have done their politicians' will
The soldiers were pawns serving the government's interests
Ten thousand years on, they'll be lying still
The aftermath will last forever, affecting future generations
Help me find a way out
Request for assistance in escaping the chaos
Hear all our restless spirits shout
The souls of the dead are in agony and demand attention
Turning around I see a new age dawn
There's hope for a fresh start amidst the destruction
And I look on
Continuing to observe the surrounding devastation
Tracer bullets lightning up the sky
Machine gun rounds lit up the night sky
A soldiers' duty is to die
The military requires their soldiers to give their lives without a guarantee of victory
Night times descended on this mushroom cloud
The detonation of a nuclear bomb resulted in darkness covering the area
Our days have ended in a chlorine shroud
The chemical attack caused life to cease
Climbing, our spirits they rise above the battlefield
The souls begin to ascend past the scene
They're beating their lives now
Their hearts continue to beat even though their bodies have perished
In a different time
Their spirits now reside in another realm
Am I in heaven or in hell?
Uncertainty regarding their current state
Well, personally, I can't tell
Even the artist cannot discern the current location of the spirits
Gliding, our spirits they soar
Their ascending continues
Across the battlefield
They move past the grounds of warfare
They're joining together now as one mind
All souls are uniting
Am I in heaven or in hell?
Unsure of their present state of being
Well, personally, I don't care
They are content with their unity
Beam me up [x6]
Asking for transportation to a new place
Rising our spirits they glide
Continued upward movement up and away from the battlefield
They're reaching up to a higher mind
As they move up, they begin to approach something greater
Contributed by Avery J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
MAGNUM The Golden years 1974 - 88
Tremendous album this. i was lucky to see pallas just the once. they played east-west. my favourite track.
Will Correa
Im From Brazil, im 24 years old and this song is amazing very very thank you to share with us. Cheers!
MrJoe2112
saw em 6 times back in the day, BRILLIANT
Neil Edwards
Much listened to at the time and since. Nostalgia places me in Silchester in a field with headphones in a deserted field and I still had hair then. Sigh.
Gavlaa Cole
Heady days indeed - the prog scene in the early 80's in London was immense.
Kika
Soooo good!
Brian Smith
God...memories...was fab back then 1982 83
Sally
saw them rock The Peel, RIP
MAGNUM The Golden years 1974 - 88
marvellous
Roman A.
Epic